» January 16 2015 - #EnergyInfratructureProjects, #ClimateTest, #KeystonXL. Major energy infrastructure projects will be more and more put to a climate test. In the US, for example, draft environmental legislation adopted last year stipulates that climate analysis of federal projects should include "downstream" emissions. In future it will not be so easy for companies to say "if we don’t do it, somebody else will". But how do you measure indirect climate effects? The Stockholm Environment Institute is one place where they have started to do this type of analysis. Senior Scientists Peter Erickson and Michael Lazarus describe the results of their greenhouse gas analysis of the biggest pipeline project in the US, Keystone XL, and conclude that it may lead to a substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions [energypost.eu]

» January 16 2015 - #RenewableEnergy, #IrenaGlobalAtlas. IRENA, CENER (Spain), DLR (Germany), Masdar Institute (UAE), NREL (USA) and MINES ParisTech (France) are very pleased to announce the release of Global Atlas 2.0. This new version features maps for solar, wind, geothermal, bioenergy and marine energy, and includes new functions and tools such as: Map gallery: Search maps by keyword, location or source; Infopicker: Access data, tools and country profiles from REsource - IRENA's Knowledge Gateway; Catalog search: Search for more data by name, location, keyword or data quality (beta); Universal data viewer: Solar and wind graphs and charts in one click [irena.masdar.ac.ae]

» January 16 2015 - #ClimateChange, #CO2EmissionsCosts, #ResearchPaper, #StanfordUni, #NatureClimateChange. The "social cost" of carbon dioxide emissions may not be $37 per ton, as estimated by a recent U.S. government study, but $220 per ton. Estimated social cost of climate change not accurate, Stanford scientists say. The economic damage caused by a ton of carbon dioxide emissions - often referred to as the "social cost" of carbon - could actually be six times higher than the value that the United States now uses to guide current energy regulations, and possibly future mitigation policies [...] A recent U.S. government study concluded, based on the results of three widely used economic impact models, that an additional ton of carbon dioxide emitted in 2015 would cause $37 worth of economic damages. These damages are expected to take various forms, including decreased agricultural yields, harm to human health and lower worker productivity, all related to climate change. But according to a new study, published online this week in the journal Nature Climate Change (Temperature impacts on economic growth warrant stringent mitigation policy), the actual cost could be much higher. "We estimate that the social cost of carbon is not $37 per ton, as previously estimated, but $220 per ton," [...] Their alternative formulation incorporated recent empirical findings suggesting that climate change could substantially slow economic growth rates, particularly in poor countries [news.stanford.edu]

» January 16 2015 - #Oil, #AgeOfOil, #SaudiArabia, #Opec, #Geopolitics. Saudi Arabia's decision not to cut oil production, despite crashing prices, marks the beginning of an incredibly important change. There are near-term and obvious implications for oil markets and global economies. More important is the acknowledgement, demonstrated by the action of world's most important oil producer, of the beginning of the end of the most prosperous period in human history – the age of oil. In 2000, Sheikh Yamani, former oil minister of Saudi Arabia, gave an interview in which he said: "Thirty years from now [2000] there will be a huge amount of oil - and no buyers. Oil will be left in the ground. The Stone Age came to an end, not because we had a lack of stones, and the oil age will come to an end not because we have a lack of oil." Fourteen years later, while Americans were eating or sleeping off their Thanksgiving meals, the twelve members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) failed to reach an agreement to cut production below the 30 million barrel per day target that was set in 2011. This followed strenuous lobbying efforts by some of largest oil producing non-OPEC nations in the weeks leading up to the meeting. This group even went so far as to make the highly unusual offer of agreeing to their own production cuts. [...] Saudi Arabia is seeing a new and massively changing energy landscape. The U.S. and China have agreed to bilateral carbon reduction targets. 2014 is now officially the hottest year recorded in human history, a record set almost impossibly without the presence of El Nino. And on January 7 a report released in Nature lays bare the fossil fuel climate change equation by concluding that to achieve anything better than a 50/50 shot at keeping global warming under 2 degrees centigrade (the most widely accepted threshold for avoiding catastrophic climate change) 82% of fossil reserves must remain in the ground. That report puts hard numbers on the percentages of fossil fuels that must “stay in the ground” and calls for 38% of proven Mideast oil reserves to never to be pumped from the ground. That 38% represents some 260 billion barrels of oil – worth tens of trillions of dollars – much of that not held in Saudi reserves [theenergycollective.com]

» January 15 2015 - #Methane, #Emissions, #Oil&Gas, #US. The Obama Administration [...] is announcing a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 - 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025, and a set of actions to put the U.S. on a path to achieve this ambitious goal. U.S. oil production is at the highest level in nearly 30 years, providing important energy security and economic benefits. The U.S. is also now the largest natural gas producer in the world, providing an abundant source of clean-burning fuel to power and heat American homes and businesses. Continuing to rely on these domestic energy resources is a critical element of the President's energy strategy. At the same time, methane - the primary component of natural gas - is a potent greenhouse gas, with 25 times the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Methane emissions accounted for nearly 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, of which nearly 30 percent came from the production transmission and distribution of oil and natural gas. Emissions from the oil and gas sector are down 16 percent since 1990 and current data show significant reductions from certain parts of the sector, notably well completions. Nevertheless, emissions from the oil and gas sector are projected to rise more than 25 percent by 2025 without additional steps to lower them. For these reasons, a strategy for cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is an important component of efforts to address climate change. [...] Achieving the Administration's goal would save up to 180 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2025, enough to heat more than 2 million homes for a year and continue to support businesses that manufacture and sell cost-effective technologies to identify, quantify, and reduce methane emissions [...] In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laid a foundation for further action when it issued standards for volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the oil and natural gas industry. These standards, when fully implemented, are expected to reduce 190,000 to 290,000 tons of VOC and decrease methane emissions in an amount equivalent to 33 million tons of carbon pollution per year [...] EPA will develop new guidelines to assist states in reducing ozone-forming pollutants from existing oil and gas systems in areas that do not meet the ozone health standard and in states in the Ozone Transport Region. These guidelines will also reduce methane emissions in these areas. The guidelines will help states that are developing clean air ozone plans by providing a ready-to-adopt control measure that they can include in those plans [...] EPA will continue to promote transparency and accountability for existing sources by strengthening its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program to require reporting in all segments of the industry. In addition to finalizing the updates to the program EPA has already proposed by the end of 2015, EPA will explore potential regulatory opportunities for applying remote sensing technologies and other innovations in measurement and monitoring technology to further improve the identification and quantification of emissions and improve the overall accuracy and transparency of reported data cost-effectively [...] The Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will update decades-old standards to reduce wasteful venting, flaring, and leaks of natural gas, which is primarily methane, from oil and gas wells. These standards, to be proposed this spring, will address both new and existing oil and gas wells on public lands [...] The Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will propose natural gas pipeline safety standards in 2015. While the standards will focus on safety, they are expected to lower methane emissions as well. [...] The President's FY16 Budget will propose $15 million in funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and demonstrate more cost-effective technologies to detect and reduce losses from natural gas transmission and distribution systems. This will include efforts to repair leaks and develop next generation compressors. The President's budget will also propose $10 million to launch a program at DOE to enhance the quantification of emissions from natural gas infrastructure for inclusion in the national Greenhouse Gas Inventory in coordination with EPA [whitehouse.gov]

» January 15 2015 - #OilPrices, #OilProductionForecast, #US, #EIA. Even with oil prices continuing to plummet and oil companies decommissioning drilling rigs every day, the Energy Department on Tuesday projected that domestic crude production would continue to rise in 2015, although growth would slow. The forecast of even more American supplies on an oversupplied global market was not unexpected, but it added to the probability that oil prices that have plummeted around 55 percent since June will not completely recover any time soon. But the department projected a modest recovery for the Brent global oil price benchmark, now around $46 a barrel, which it said would average $58 a barrel this year but rebound to $75 in 2016. On Tuesday, both Brent and the American benchmark oil prices tumbled sharply, but later rose from their lows. The projection came hours after North Dakota regulators reported that oil companies had decommissioned eight rigs overnight, reducing the number in the state to the lowest level in over four years. North Dakota, the No. 2 state in oil production behind Texas, still has 158 rigs drilling, but only last month there were 183 rigs operating. Nevertheless, the report issued by the department's Energy Information Administration forecast that total American crude production that averaged 9.2 million barrels a day at the end of 2014 would average 9.3 million barrels a day in 2015 [nytimes.com]

» January 15 2015 - #RenewableEnergy, #StableEnergy, #EnergyStored, #ResearchPaper. A New Approach for Converting Renewable Energy to Stable Energy. A renewable energy plant which relies on wind speed or solar insolation is unreliable because of the stochastic nature of weather patterns. It is theorized that by using multiple renewable energy plants in separate areas of a region, the differ- ent weather conditions might approach a probabilistically independent relationship. The goal of this paper is to utilize the power system technology to help disseminate wind and solar power systems to get a stable energy. A new approach to get appropriate stable energy is achieved by using the interrupted energy that obtained from wind farm and solar in- solation. This is achieved by lifting water to a higher level with appropriate pumps and storing it in the form of potential energy. Then a stable energy is obtained by reliving water to the lower level. In this paper, the efficiency obtained from the renewable energy is compared with that obtained from traditional ones. An experimental model to simulate the process of converting the renewable energy to a stable energy is presented. The obtained results from experimental model explained that the renewable energy can be converted to a stable one with high efficiency [Engineering, scirp.org]

» January 15 2015 - #LowOilPrices, #Geopolitics, #EnergyMarkets. CSIS Conference, The Energy Market Impacts of Low Oil Prices: How Low? How Long? For the past several years, oil prices have remained in a predictably stable price "band" of around $100/barrel - in spite of an unprecedented spate of global disruptions and new geopolitical unrest. A combination of lackluster oil demand growth, an unprecedented supply surge courtesy of U.S. tight oil production, and other market factors has led to a rapid decline in global oil prices. While it is likely too early to answer the critical questions about how low prices will go, how long they will stay there, and whether this recent price collapse will lead to a new oil price band or an era of greater price volatility, it is a good time to start assessing some of the key variables to watch. This session is an opportunity explore the various oil market dynamics at play and assess the potential implications and outlooks for the future - Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 [csis.org]

» January 14 2015 - #RenewableEnergy, #US, #IrenaReport. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has just released a new report for renewable energy in the USA. The report shows that the United States can increase the use of renewable energy in its energy mix from 7.5 per cent in 2010 to 27 per cent by 2030 - and in the power sector alone to almost 50%. The report shows that in order to reach this mark an annual investment of USD 86 billion between today and 2030 in renewable technologies is required - an increase of USD 38 billion beyond a business-as-usual. The report also finds that higher deployment of renewables will result in annual savings of USD 30 – 140 billion by 2030 when accounting for benefits resulting from reduced health effects and CO2 emissions. The report is part of IRENA's renewable energy roadmap, REmap 2030, which provides a plan to double the share of renewable energy in the world's energy mix by 2030 and determines the potential for the US and other countries to scale up renewable energy in the energy system, including power, industry, buildings, and the transport sector [irena.org]

» January 14 2015 - #ClimateChange, #ClimatePolicy, #Geopolitics. Climate change: a complex, challenging issue, and in some ways a failure. Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy, Affiliated Professor of Law, and Director of the Animal Studies Initiative at New York University, has dedicated his book "Reason in a Dark Time: Why the Struggle Against Climate Change Failed – and What It Means for Our Future" to explaining this failure while providing a comprehensive history of the denial and political paralysis that have prevented us from stopping global warming. Evolution, he argues, did not design us to address or even identify this kind of problem. The challenges that climate change presents go beyond the resources of common sense morality while making it hard to believe that our individual actions matter [climatescienceandpolicy.eu]

» January 14 2015 - #OilPrices, #OilImports, #China, #Geopolitics. Oil prices continue to decline, despite record-high volumes of oil imports by China, and analysts say a recent set of price forecasts for crude all point in same direction - down. [Yesterday] Brent futures had fallen by $0.92 to $46.51 a barrel, while WTI futures were down by $0.72 to $45.35. Prices for both benchmarks have been falling seven weeks in a row, and are now at the lowest level since April 2009, Reuters reports. [...] Analysts at the investment bank Goldman Sachs have lowered their mid-year price forecast for the international benchmark Brent crude oil in 2015 from $83.75 to $50.40 per barrel, and for U.S. benchmark WTI crude from $73.75 to $47.15. According to them, investments in shale oil will decline if the price for U.S. benchmark remains at $40 during the first half of the year. Analysts of Dutch bank ABN Amro have lowered their mid-year price forecast for Brent crude oil in 2015 to $60 per barrel, and that for WTI to $55 per barrel. China's crude oil imports in December reached record volumes, exceeding seven million barrels per day for the first time [unian.info]

» January 14 2015 - #NaturalGas, #UE, #Russia, #Geopolitics. A Mild winter and robust European Union policy have blunted the edge of what was once Vladimir Putin's most effective foreign-policy weapon: the politicised export of gas. [...] Why has Russia lost its hold on European gas? European policymakers still remember the shocks of 2006 and 2009, when Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine amid a row about prices and debts, leading to heating crises and factory closures in countries such as Slovakia and Hungary, and making western European countries such as Germany scramble to find alternative supplies. Europe gets a third of its gas from Russia, half of it from pipelines across Ukraine. [...] Since then the EU has made some big changes. It pushed through a controversial but effective liberalisation of the gas market, known as the Third Energy Package: Russia cannot now both own and control pipelines on EU territory. The EU has has also made the supply system a lot more resilient, putting taxpayers' money into new interconnectors between countries dependent on Russian gas imports. This rewrites the rules. If supplies from the east are interrupted, the countries affected can import gas from elsewhere. [...] Moreover, a mild winter means Europe's gas consumption is low and storage is high for the time of year. Even if Russia did try to interrupt supplies, the effect would be modest [...] The low oil price is straining the Kremlin's coffers. In December, Mr Putin abruptly cancelled the $40 billion South Stream pipeline to central Europe via the Black Sea and Balkans after it ran into trouble [economist.com]

» January 13 2015 - #CollapsingOilPrices, #SaudiArabia, #US, #Venezuela. The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi met here today with US Deputy Secretary of Energy Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and her accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they reviewed the situations of the international oil market, and discussed cooperation in the fields of energy, environment, climate change, uses of solar energy, joint investments, and the exchange of technical and technological experiences between the two countries [spa.gov.sa]. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met Sunday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Salman, a day after talks with Iran's supreme leader focused on the slump in global oil prices. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the leaders discussed areas of cooperation between the two OPEC-member countries and ways to promote bilateral ties. [...] Oil prices have plunged more than 55 percent since June to less than $50 a barrel, placing a severe strain on Venezuela and other oil-producing countries like Iran. Saudi Arabia has strong financial reserves to weather lower oil prices, but Venezuela's cash-strapped government is among the cartel's most vulnerable. Analysts estimate that Venezuela needs oil at $110 per barrel to continue meeting its budgetary obligations. Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest oil producer, has refused to cut production despite willingness to do so by Venezuela and others. Saudi Arabia's oil minister has argued that curbing production would erode the kingdom's market share and would have no impact on oil prices. A recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report said that physical oil supply is still outpacing demand, setting the stage for a further slide in prices in the first quarter of 2015. The report said there is a growing risk of U.S. crude prices moving below $35 a barrel in the near term and Brent crude to $40 a barrel [pennenergy.com]

» January 13 2015 - #CollapsingOilPrices, #FrackingBubble, #FinancialCrisis As Congress removes restrictions on taxpayers bailing out the too-big-to-fail banks, the right is blaming environmentalists and Russia for the demise of the fracking boom. In reality, the banks' junk bonds and derivatives have flooded Wall Street, and now the fracking bubble threatens another financial crisis. Collapsing crude oil prices due to oversupply are reaching tsunami proportions, threatening Wall Street banks, investors and a dozen countries, foremost Russia, Iran and Venezuela, where revenue losses have caused severe financial degradation, and economies are about to implode. While Americans are today enjoying $2 per gallon gasoline, Wall Street's analysts predict that an imminent energy market collapse will bring financial institutions to their knees once again, and taxpayers are being set up for another mandatory bailout [truth-out.org]

» January 13 2015 - #ClimateChange, #EnvironmentalMigration, #InternationalOrganizationforMigrationReport. As the environment, climate change and migration complex nexus is drawing increasing attention in the contemporary international agenda, The State of Environmental Migration 2014: Review of the Year 2013 is the fourth of our annual publication, with a specific focus on the year 2013 and aiming to enhance understanding on natural disasters, sudden onset events and slow onset events and their links to human mobility. The publication is not only focused on 2013 events but does also consider the longer term impacts of a natural event on migration, as we can assess them with the state of knowledge we have in 2013, as well as developments at policy level relating migration, climate and the environment [iom.int]

» January 13 2015 - #NaturalGas, #Security, #RenewableEnergy, #Efficiency, UE, #Towards2030Paper. How can renewables and energy efficiency improve gas security in selected Member States? This fact-finding paper seeks to identify recent trends in natural gas use and import dependencies in twelve rather vulnerable EU Member States and to analyse the potential to reduce insecurity of external gas supplies of these countries in the short and longer term up to 2030. In doing so, the potential contribution of renewables and energy efficiency to reduce gas import dependency will be assessed [towards2030.eu]

» January 13 2015 - #OilPrices, #U.S.StockFutures. U.S. stock futures were higher in early trading, after a two-day slide on concern about plummeting oil prices and whether earnings at large corporations might show weakness as a result. Oil prices continued their dramatic slump to near-six-year lows this morning, as an oil minister from OPEC reiterated that the group would not be changing its production strategy [cnbc.com]

» January 13 2015 - #Oil&GasIndustry, #Exploration&ProductionSpending. Global exploration and production spending is expected to decline at least 8.8% in 2015 vs. 2014, according to 225 companies surveyed in the Barclays E&P Spending Outlook. North American budgets, meanwhile, are expected to fall at least 14.1% with significant downside potential, Barclays said. Survey results estimated $679 billion worldwide E&P capital spending for 2014 compared with an estimated $619 billion for 2015. For North America, survey results estimated $196 billion for 2014 E&P spending compared with an estimated $166 billion for 2015. The results provide only a "snapshot" of industry's planning as of December, said David Anderson, a Barclays services and equipment analyst. At the time of the survey, participants assumed average 2015 oil prices of $70/bbl for Brent and $65/bbl for US light, sweet crude oil. "We would expect spending to decline as much as 30% or more if 2015 West Texas Intermediate prices hold" in the vicinity of $50/bbl [...] A competing spending survey [...] indicated global capital expenditures for E&P projects are expected to drop 17% to $571 billion in 2015 [...] The Barclays survey showed 40% of North American E&P companies expect drilling and completion costs to fall more than 10%, a complete reversal from 2014 [ogj.com]

» January 12 2015 - #NaturalGas, #SouthStream, UE, Russia, Turkey, Geopolitics. South Stream Is Dead. Long Live South Stream. South Stream is not dead - rather it has morphed into a new project which is part of a complex commercial power play on the part of Russia and Turkey [...] the new South Stream, if it happens, will offer new opportunities to Europe, but also new threats. In particular, the EU will see its diversification strategy come under pressure as Azerbaijan and potential Central Asian suppliers are likely to be squeezed by the Moscow-Ankara alliance [energypost.eu]

» January 12 2015 - #Coal, #Biomass, IEA CCC Webinar. Wednesday 21 January at midday (UK time). Biomass could have an important role in the strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large coal plants. Amongst the plethora of different biomasses, wood pellets have emerged as one of the most successful and fast growing internationally traded commodities. Wood (and straw) pellets offer a more energy dense and transportable alternative to the traditional wood chip, a product most commonly associated with the paper and pulp industry. A few large scale projects in Europe have drawn on North American sources to supplement local supplies of biomass without any major problems. At current levels of demand, there appears to be an abundance of wood resource. However, extending cofiring at low rates (5-10%) to the world's coal-fired fleet will increase demand for wood pellets significantly. Meeting this demand will offer opportunities and challenges for the entire biomass supply chain, not least forest resources. This presentation accompanies a report by the IEA Clean Coal Centre to review the current understanding of world biomass resources using published forestry data from the UN Forestry and Agricultural Organization (FAO). From these data, the author attempts to identify a global and regional resource figure for wood in the form of residues and waste by-products that arise from the forestry industry; and discusses the broad issues that affect forest resources worldwide [iea-coal.org.uk]

» January 12 2015 - #OilPrice, #EnergyPolicy, Russia, Geopolitics. The price of the benchmark Brent crude fell below $49 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in London on Monday. Brent futures dropped by 2.2% as of 07:35 GMT to $48.97 per barrel. The Russian ruble continued its downside slide on the Moscow Exchange on Monday amid falling world oil prices. As of 1:43 p.m. (10:43 GMT), the dollar rose by 1.10 rubles to 62.65 while the euro climbed by 1.85 rubles to 74.09 [itar-tass.com]

» January 12 2015 - #Oil, #EnergyPolicy, US. Oil prices have declined sharply over the last six months, with the U.S. benchmark closing below $50/barrel on Jan. 6th, for the first time since 2009. A number of factors have contributed to this fall in prices, including an increase in U.S. tight oil production and decreased global demand. Beyond the immediate financial benefits of lower fuel prices for U.S. consumers, the falling price of oil raises several policy questions. Impacts on financial markets and geopolitical tensions that could be exacerbated if the low price persists are only a few of the potential issues U.S. policymakers may find themselves dealing with [ourenergypolicy.org]

» January 12 2015 - #OilConsumption, #EnergyPolicy, US. America Shakes Its Addiction to Oil. As GDP grows and gas prices plunge to the lowest levels in four years, oil consumption should be soaring. It isn't [bloomberg.com]

» January 09 2015 - #NaturalGas, #EnergyPolicy, Turkey, TANAP-TAP Pipeline, #Geopolitics. With all of the recent references to Turkey's energy policy, it appears that most people and even specialists, are not well aware of what constitutes to a "gas hub". In a nutshell, a region might become a physical gas hub when it creates an intensive network facilitating a financial, spot and transportation market for natural gas that would be utilized by many players in and out of that specific region for their trade and businesses. In this respect, it is unlikely Turkey would become such a place, as it is neither located in a region with a free gas market with non-oil-indexed pricing, nor does it have a favourable position for becoming an LNG trade centre. However, due to its geographic location, Turkey indeed merits and attempts to become a pipeline transit network in the region, linking the Eastern and Northern energy sources to Europe. Neighbouring gas-rich countries naturally have interests to transfer their gas through Turkey which is also enjoying noticeable growth in gas demand. Azerbaijan is in most favourably positioned with its SCP and TANAP-TAP projects in terms of using its closest neighbour as a transit to Europe [naturalgaseurope.com]

» January 09 2015 - Unburnable Fossil Fuels, Oil, Gas, Coal, Global Warming, Geopolitics. Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. cannot burn much of the coal, oil and gas located within their national territories if the world wants to restrain global warming. That's the conclusion of a new analysis aimed at determining what it will take to keep average global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius this century-a goal adopted during ongoing negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "If we want to reach the two degree limit in the most cost-effective manner, over 80 percent of current coal, half of gas and one third of oil need to be classified as unburnable," said Christophe McGlade, a research associate at University College London's Institute for Sustainable Resources (ISR) and lead author of the report published in Nature on January 8, during a press conference. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) Those global restrictions apply even if technologies that can capture carbon dioxide and dispose of it become widespread over the next decade. "Rapid development of [carbon capture and storage] only allows you to produce very slightly more." [scientificamerican.com]

» January 08 2015 - Renewable Energy, Geothermal Energy, Oil Price. When the price of oil drops, there are winners and losers. People tend to think that all types of renewable energy lose out to cheap oil, but that is not the case. One renewable source that wins is geothermal. Countries along Latin America's Pacific Coast and in the Caribbean have significant geothermal resources; however, these have been underexploited. It is estimated that only 4-5% of geothermal energy's potential has been developed in the region. [...] geothermal currently accounts for only a minimal portion of the energy matrix in Latin America and the Caribbean. This situation is changing. Many countries—with support from the IDB-are working to develop new geothermal plants, to make this technology a reality for the region. We have seen more and more activity, whether direct (exploration or project construction) or indirect (policies conducive to investment). The drop in the price of crude oil in the last few months could boost these efforts. It's a simple question of supply and demand. The geothermal industry and the oil industry use all the same drilling services, which can amount to as much as 50% of a project's total budget [bruni, iadb.org]

» January 08 2015 - Oil Price, Oil Production, US, Canada. Oil prices have almost bottomed out and "some recovery" is likely by the second half of the year as demand picks up, commodity hedge fund manager Andrew J. Hall told investors. Crude could trade in the $40-a-barrel range in 2015, close to "an absolute price floor," the head of Astenbeck Capital Management wrote in a Jan. 2 letter obtained by Bloomberg News. A significant amount of U.S. and Canadian production can't cover the cash costs of operating at that price [bloomberg.com]

» January 08 2015 - Energy Policy, EU, Energy Union. The EU readies to overhaul its energy governance. The reach and power of the EU and its institutions are up for serious debate as Europe prepares to enter into an "Energy Union". The European Commission plans to publish its vision for such a Union by the end of February. But already member states and Members of the European Parliament are weighing in with their own ideas of what Europe should prioritise – and who should be in charge [energypost.eu]

» January 08 2015 - Climate Change, Fossil Fuel, Economics, Geopolitics. Vast amounts of oil in the Middle East, coal in the US, Australia and China and many other fossil fuel reserves will have to be left in the ground to prevent dangerous climate change, according to the first analysis to identify which existing reserves cannot be burned. The new work [The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2C, published in the journal Nature] reveals the profound geopolitical and economic implications of tackling global warming for both countries and major companies that are reliant on fossil fuel wealth. It shows trillions of dollars of known and extractable coal, oil and gas, including most Canadian tar sands, all Arctic oil and gas and much potential shale gas, cannot be exploited if the global temperature rise is to be kept under the 2C safety limit agreed by the world's nations. Currently, the world is heading for a catastrophic 5C of warming and the deadline to seal a global climate deal comes in December at a crunch UN summit in Paris [...] the new study is the first to reveal which fuels from which countries would have to be abandoned [theguardian.com]

» January 07 2015 - Climate Change, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Environmental Law Institute Articles. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report presented significant data and findings about climate change. But the IPCC's working groups' summaries for policymakers avoid making normative statements about the IPCC's findings. The authors of this collection of essays are members of the Environmental Law Collaborative, a group of environmental law scholars that meet to discuss important and timely environmental issues. Each scholar chose one passage from one of the IPCC's three Summaries for Policymakers as a jumping-off point for exploring climate change issues and responding directly to the reports. They each identify and analyze a wide variety of normative claims that stem from the working groups' summaries to spark deeper discussion and hopefully help shape the IPCC's sixth assessment [papers.ssrn.com]

» January 07 2015 - Oil Market, Oil Prices. [...] The big question is what oil prices will do in 2015. Oil prices are unsustainably low right now - many high-cost oil producers and oil-producing regions are currently operating in the red. That may work in the short-term, but over the medium and long-term, companies will be forced out of the market, precipitating a price rise. The big question is when they will rise, and by how much [energyvoice.com]

» January 07 2015 - Climate Change, Global Warming. It's official: 2014 has taken the title of hottest year on record. That ranking comes courtesy of data released Monday by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the first of four major global temperature recordkeepers to release their data for last year. The upward march of the world's average temperature since 1891 is a trademark of human-influenced global warming with 2014 being the latest stop on the climb. All 10 of the hottest years have come since 1998. The average temperature was 1.1°F above the 20th century average according to JMA's data. That edges 1998, the previous warmest year, by about 0.1°F [scientificamerican.com]

» January 07 2015 - Oil, Pipeline, Energy and Environmental Policy, US, Canada. The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto the first piece of legislation introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate, a bill approving the much-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline, in what was expected to the first in many confrontations over energy and environmental policy. Hours after supporters of the bipartisan bill, sponsored by all 54 Republicans and six Democrats, announced its introduction, the White House said for the first time that President Barack Obama would veto it. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday he does not expect Obama would sign any Keystone legislation that reaches his desk. He said legislation should not undermine a "well-established" review process being run by the State Department or circumvent a lawsuit still pending in Nebraska over the pipeline's route. The two main sponsors, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Tuesday morning they had enough votes to overcome a filibuster of the bill but not a presidential veto. The House is expected to vote and pass a bill approving the $5.4 billion project, which was first proposed in 2008, on Friday [pennenergy.com]

» January 07 2015 - Energy, Geopolitcs. Geopolitics is the battle for space and power played out in a geographical setting. Just as there are military geopolitics, diplomatic geopolitics and economic geopolitics, there is also energy geopolitics. For natural resources and the trade routes that bring those resources to consumers is central to the study of geography. Every international order in early modern and modern history is based on an energy resource. Whereas the Age of Coal and Steam was the backdrop for the British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Age of Petroleum has been the backdrop for the American Empire from the end of the 19th to the early 21st centuries. And indeed, just after other countries and America's own elites were consigning the United States to a period of decline, news began to emerge of vast shale gas discoveries in a host of states, especially Texas. The Age of Natural Gas could make the United States the world's leading geopolitical power well into the new century. [...] "Asia has become 'ground zero' for growth" as far as the consumption of energy is concerned, writes Malik. His research shows that over the next 20 years, 85 percent of the growth in energy consumption will come from the Indo-Pacific region. Already, at least a quarter of the world's liquid hydrocarbons are consumed by China, India, Japan and South Korea. According to the World Energy Outlook, published by the International Energy Agency, China will account for 40 percent of the growing consumption until 2025, after which India will emerge as "the biggest single source of increasing demand," in Malik's words. The rate of energy consumption growth for India will increase to 132 percent; in China and Brazil demand will grow by 71 percent, and in Russia by 21 percent. Malik explains that the increase in demand for gas will overtake that for oil and coal combined [forbes.com]

» January 06 2015 - Coal, Climate Change, Competitiveness, Energy Security, CSIS Commentary. Perhaps no other energy topic today elicits such starkly polarized attitudes as coal. Coal is vilified as a dirty fuel by some and praised as a necessary means for developing economies to modernize by others. These debates are unlikely to subside, as coal is the second-largest primary energy source in the world today and coal consumption is expected to keep growing for decades to come. In particular, coal continues to play a dominant role in developing countries, where the need for cheap and reliable energy to fuel economic development drives coal use. Continued reliance on coal in these economies, however, has spurred concern about how to de-conflict continued reliance on coal for economic development with the need to address climate change. There are several main economic, technology and public policy issues to consider in reconciling the two divergent coal narratives today, as emphasized at a recent public conference, Revisiting the Role of Coal: Competitiveness, Climate, and Security run by the CSIS Energy and National Security Program on December 17 [csis.org]

» January 06 2015 - Unconventional Oil, US. American Eagle Energy Corp., Denver, has suspended its 2015 drilling budget and does not anticipate resuming drilling operations until crude oil prices improve. American Eagle operates in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in North Dakota. "The company continues to be focused on capital discipline and maintaining liquidity," a Dec. 31, 2014, news release said. After drilling the Huffman 15-34S well in November 2014, American Eagle released the drilling rig. American Eagle expects to conduct completion operations in the first quarter on two gross (1.9 net) wells (Byron 4-4 and Shelley Lynn 4-4N) were drilled during the 2014 fourth quarter. The company anticipates that its average production for the fourth quarter will be 2,600-2,700 boe/d [ogj.com]

» January 05 2015 - Energy Policy, Climate Policy, Poland, Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) Report. This report examines Poland's implementation of the EU climate and energy policy package to attain 2020 goals: the extent to which and how these policies have been implemented to date, why and with what consequences for Poland's positions on new EU climate policies. Because unanimity is required on new long-term climate and energy policy goals, the relationship between the EU and Poland is crucial. Indigenous coal accounts for nearly 90% of the country's electricity production and 50% of its total CO2 emissions. The first observation is that there have been significant implementation problems concerning the ETS, RES and CCS Directives. The EU package cannot be said to have been a 'game changer' - Poland has mainly opposed and absorbed the package to make it fit with existing policies and energy mix. Second, implementation challenges arise from EU adaptation pressure and 'misfit' with national policies, negotiating position and energy mix. Domestic politics has also proved important: The consistency in governmental prioritization of coal, opposition to climate policy by state-owned energy groups and privileged access to decision making for these groups. Moreover, lack of willingness, ability and opportunities at the national level to transform the linking of various policies and issues that promoted EU level agreement has made Poland increasingly resistant to long-term EU policies. This is partly reflected in the new 2030 climate and energy policy framework adopted by the European Council in October 2014. Still, there are some signs of changes that may drive Poland towards a 'greener' pathway in the future [fni.no]

» January 05 2015 - Oil, Prices, Markets, Supplies. The oil market is set for "more problems" this year as increasing supplies from countries including Russia and Iraq add to the global glut that drove prices almost 50 percent lower in 2014, according to Morgan Stanley. Output may increase from fields in West Africa, Latin America, the U.S. and Canada in addition to more exports from Russia and Iraq, offsetting concerns of reduced production in Libya, analysts including New York-based Adam Longson said in an e-mailed report today. Iran may raise overseas shipments by about 500,000 barrels a day if western sanctions against the country are lifted, according to the report. Morgan Stanley is predicting additional supplies coming to the market as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries maintains its production quotas and the U.S. pumps at the fastest rate in more than three decades. Benchmark prices are extending declines in a bear market as OPEC pumped above target for a seventh straight month in December [bloomberg.com]

» January 05 2015 - Electric Vehicles (EV), Oil, BMW. BMW have started from scratch with i3 and have created with it the world's first mass produced automobile to use carbon fiber reinforced plastic throughout the vehicle. This high-tech material is around 50% lighter than steel components and allows BMW to reduce the weight of the car (incl. batteries) to the weight of a similar sized combustion engine car. With the launch of the i series, BMW is not only showing strong leadership and a good sense of timing in launching a new brand for electric cars, but also launching a "test bed" which will allow the company to put in place radical new manufacturing methods, enter the electric vehicle race as well as test new services. The latter is very important because if electric cars do take off then many of the incumbent manufacturers will come under significant profit margin pressure. As it now stands circa 10-15% of total industry profitability comes from after sales services including the sale of spare parts. The issue with EVs and in particular the i3 is that it has a much simpler design with fewer components, which translates into lower maintenance needs and lower spending on replacement parts. The big question is whether the industry can offset these falls in margins by new activities such as car sharing and re-charging. This is what BMW is attempting to do with the i-series and projects such as the Drive Now car sharing program. In addition, BMW offers an extensive range of services for i3 which they label, their 360° ELECTRIC package. This includes the installation of the BMW i Wallbox in the customer's garage, a renewable energy supply offer, to the charging card for user-friendly access to the public charging infrastructure and additional driver assistance services from BMW ConnectedDrive. Besides learning about the future BMW is also selling lots of i3s, some 8,401 units in the first eight months of the year. Whatsmore the i3 is already outselling Tesla in North America. In August BMW sold sold 1,025 i3s in North American as opposed to 600 Model S's. And things are probably going to get better for BMW given that the total cost of ownership of a BMW i3 in its home market Germany (over a three year period) is very similar to that of say the BMW X1. In addition, with battery costs likely to fall by 50% over the next few years plus carbon fiber costs according to BMW to fall to the aluminum production levels by 2020 it will not be long before the costs of an electric car are lower than a traditional combustion engined car [energyandcarbon.com]

» January 05 2015 - Energy Policy, Climate Change Policy, UK. Last year was a rough one for the climate change secretary, the Lib Dems' Ed Davey. The big government offer in 2010 of a clear, market-driven energy policy turns out to have been easier to promise than to deliver. That is partly the fault of coalition politics. Energy became the battleground for the most fundamental differences between the two partners. As a result, a policy area that demands long-term thinking has been mired in uncertainty. The case for green energy has been widely undermined by misleading accounts of its cost to the consumer. David Cameron, the man who used to say vote blue, go green, now talks of cutting the green crap. In the midst of the political squabbling, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has lurched between crises. Last month, faced with warnings from the power-generation industry that they were working at something close to full capacity, with a margin of as little as 2% at times of peak demand, Mr Davey's department looked for a cast-iron guarantee that the lights would stay on. Although many independent observers argued that the 2% margin was likely to be breached only in an extreme winter, and then only for a very short period, last month the National Grid held the first ever auction for capacity contracts which can ensure the lights will not go out. The generators guaranteed they would have power available and, in return, were guaranteed sales at a price that, when it comes on stream three years from now, will cost consumers about £1bn a year [theguardian.com]

» January 02 2015 - Energy, Oil, Gas, Coal. Wood Mackenize's analysts highlight key global themes and predictions to look for in 2015. Oil markets: Struggling to find balance in 2015 [...] Natural Gas: LNG suppliers hoping for cold [...] Macroeconomics: Asia's consumers are key [...] Coal: China's shift to cleaner consumption [...] Corporate: A true buyers' market could emerge in 2015 [...] Based on Wood Mackenzie's predictions, OPEC and Asia will continue to be big players in 2015 impacting energy markets [oilonline.com]

» January 02 2015 - Oil Price, Renewable Energy, BNEF Research. Oil price plunge and clean energy - The real impact. The 45% fall in oil prices is being portrayed as a big blow to clean energy deployment. In fact, its impact will vary by sector and region, but will be modest in major electricity markets where renewables compete with gas and coal, and benefit from stable policy support [bnef.com]

» January 02 2015 - Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, California, US. California continues to set daily records for utility scale solar energy. On June 1, 2014, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) recorded a record midday hourly peak of 4,767 megawatts of alternating current (MWAC) of utility-generated solar electricity delivered into the California grid. With rapidly growing utility-scale solar capacity, CAISO has regularly recorded new hourly output records going back to 2010 when it first began publishing the daily data. When the hourly data are averaged over the course of a month to control for weather variation, the average peak hourly generation in May 2014 of 4,086 MWAC was 150% greater than the level in May 2013. In 2013, 2,145 MW of utility-scale solar capacity entered service in California, of which more than 500 MW came from large-scale solar thermal plants. California accounted for more than 75% of U.S. utility-scale solar capacity installed in 2013. Total solar electricity output in May 2014 constituted 6% of the total CAISO electricity load that month, compared with 2% in May 2013. However, during the average peak solar output hour, between 11:00 a.m. and noon for May 2014, solar supplied 14% of total power, compared with 6% in May 2013. Solar generation facilities generally provide power to the CAISO grid from early morning until the evening, and reach peak output around midday. When solar electricity is being generated, less electricity from other sources such as natural gas or interstate electricity imports is required. Conversely, when there is little-to-no solar generation, the shares of other fuels used in California's supply mix rise [eia.gov]

» January 02 2015 - Oil, US, Opec, Saudi Arabia. Oil fell in 2014 by the most since the 2008 global financial crisis as U.S. producers and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ceded no ground in their battle for market share amid a supply glut. The U.S. benchmark ended at a five-year low yesterday, capping a 46 percent drop in 2014, as stockpiles of crude oil and gasoline reached seasonal record highs and as OPEC produced more than its quota in December for a seventh month. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) said it expects a "far lower2 new normal for prices and Barclays Plc (BARC) said oil has "further downside risk." Oil's slump has roiled currencies including the Russian ruble and the Nigerian naira and squeezed government budgets in producing nations including Venezuela and Ecuador. It's also boosted China's emergency crude reserves and helped shrink fuel subsidies in India and Indonesia. U.S. drivers may save as much as $75 billion at gasoline pumps in 2015, AAA said. Low prices have prompted producers including ConocoPhillips and Continental Resources Inc. (CLR) to plan spending cuts for 2015 [bloomberg.com]

» January 01 2015 - Climate Change, CO2 Emissions, Annual Report, 'Trends in global CO2 emissions' . 2013 saw global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and cement production reach a new all-time high. This was mainly due to the continuing steady increase in energy use in emerging economies over the past ten years. However, emissions increased at a notably slower rate (2%) than on average in the last ten years (3.8% per year since 2003, excluding the credit crunch years). This slowdown, which began in 2012, signals a further decoupling of global emissions and economic growth, which reflects mainly the lower emissions growth rate of China. China, the USA and the EU remain the top-3 emitters of CO2, accounting for respectively 29%, 15% and 11% of the world’s total. After years of a steady decline, the CO2 emissions of the United States grew by 2.5% in 2013, whereas in the EU emissions continued to decrease, by 1.4% in 2013 [reportingclimatescience.com]

» December 31 2014 - Oil Price, Oil Shortage, Geopolitics. Low oil prices today may be setting the world up for an oil shortage as early as 2016. Today we have just 2% more crude oil supply than demand and the price of gasoline is under $2.00/gallon in Texas. If oil supply falls too far, we could see gasoline prices doubling within 18 months. For a commodity as critical to our standard of living as oil is, it only takes a small shortage to drive up the price. On Thanksgiving Day, 2014 Saudi Arabia decided to maintain their crude oil output of approximately 9.5 million barrels per day. They've taken this action despite the fact that they know the world's oil markets are currently over-supplied by an estimated 1.5 million barrels per day and the severe financial pain it is causing many of the other OPEC nations. By now you are all aware this has caused a sharp drop in global crude oil prices and has a dark cloud hanging over the energy sector. [...] this will be a short-lived dip in the long history of crude oil price cycles. Oil prices have always bounced back and this is not going to be an exception. To put this in prospective, the world currently consumes about 93.5 million barrels per day of liquid fuels, not all of which are made from crude oil. About 17% of the world's total fuel supply comes from natural gas liquids ("NGLs") and biofuels. One thing that drives the Bears opinion that oil prices will go lower during the first half of 2015 is that demand does decline during the first half of each year. Since most humans live in the northern hemisphere, weather does have an impact on demand [oilprice.com]

» December 31 2014 - Oil Price, Oil Shortage, Geopolitics. Low oil prices today may be setting the world up for an oil shortage as early as 2016. Today we have just 2% more crude oil supply than demand and the price of gasoline is under $2.00/gallon in Texas. If oil supply falls too far, we could see gasoline prices doubling within 18 months. For a commodity as critical to our standard of living as oil is, it only takes a small shortage to drive up the price. On Thanksgiving Day, 2014 Saudi Arabia decided to maintain their crude oil output of approximately 9.5 million barrels per day. They've taken this action despite the fact that they know the world's oil markets are currently over-supplied by an estimated 1.5 million barrels per day and the severe financial pain it is causing many of the other OPEC nations. By now you are all aware this has caused a sharp drop in global crude oil prices and has a dark cloud hanging over the energy sector. [...] this will be a short-lived dip in the long history of crude oil price cycles. Oil prices have always bounced back and this is not going to be an exception. To put this in prospective, the world currently consumes about 93.5 million barrels per day of liquid fuels, not all of which are made from crude oil. About 17% of the world's total fuel supply comes from natural gas liquids ("NGLs") and biofuels. One thing that drives the Bears opinion that oil prices will go lower during the first half of 2015 is that demand does decline during the first half of each year. Since most humans live in the northern hemisphere, weather does have an impact on demand [oilprice.com]

» December 31 2014 - Gas, US, Israel. The United States has expressed it support for Noble Energy and the development of natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel's Antitrust Authority recently reversed its position on an agreement that would allow Noble Energy and Delek Group to maintain their interests in offshore Leviathan and Tamar gas fields. The development could potentially have significant consequences on the development of regional offshore resources as well as announced deals for gas supply with Israel's neighbouring states [naturalgaseurope.com]

» December 31 2014 - Oil Price, Oil Market, Saudi Arabia, Opec. Why the oil price is falling. The oil price has fallen [...] This comes after nearly five years of stability. At a meeting in Vienna on November 27th the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls nearly 40% of the world market, failed to reach agreement on production curbs, sending the price tumbling. Also hard hit are oil-exporting countries such as Russia (where the rouble has hit record lows), Nigeria, Iran and Venezuela. Why is the price of oil falling? The oil price is partly determined by actual supply and demand, and partly by expectation. Demand for energy is closely related to economic activity. It also spikes in the winter in the northern hemisphere, and during summers in countries which use air conditioning. Supply can be affected by weather (which prevents tankers loading) and by geopolitical upsets. If producers think the price is staying high, they invest, which after a lag boosts supply. Similarly, low prices lead to an investment drought. OPEC's decisions shape expectations: if it curbs supply sharply, it can send prices spiking. Saudi Arabia produces nearly 10m barrels a day-a third of the OPEC total. Four things are now affecting the picture. Demand is low because of weak economic activity, increased efficiency, and a growing switch away from oil to other fuels. Second, turmoil in Iraq and Libya-two big oil producers with nearly 4m barrels a day combined-has not affected their output. The market is more sanguine about geopolitical risk. Thirdly, America has become the world's largest oil producer. Though it does not export crude oil, it now imports much less, creating a lot of spare supply. Finally, the Saudis and their Gulf allies have decided not to sacrifice their own market share to restore the price. They could curb production sharply, but the main benefits would go to countries they detest such as Iran and Russia. Saudi Arabia can tolerate lower oil prices quite easily. It has $900 billion in reserves. Its own oil costs very little (around $5-6 per barrel) to get out of the ground [economist.com]

» December 30 2014 - Gas, South Stream, Eni, Gazprom. Eni entered into an agreement for the sale of its 20% stake in South Stream Transport B.V. to Gazprom. Following the transaction, Eni will recover the capital invested to date in the project, calculated coherently with existing agreements. Before the agreement, South Stream Transport was owned by Gazprom with a share of 50%, by Eni with a share of 20%, and Wintershall and EDF with a share of 15% each. The company was established to build the offshore section of the South Stream gas pipeline [eni.com]

» December 30 2014 - Gas, South Stream, Eni, Gazprom. Eni entered into an agreement for the sale of its 20% stake in South Stream Transport B.V. to Gazprom. Following the transaction, Eni will recover the capital invested to date in the project, calculated coherently with existing agreements. Before the agreement, South Stream Transport was owned by Gazprom with a share of 50%, by Eni with a share of 20%, and Wintershall and EDF with a share of 15% each. The company was established to build the offshore section of the South Stream gas pipeline [eni.com]

» December 30 2014 - Climate Change, Climate Policy, 2015 Paris Meetings, Vatican. At the end of 2015, the nations of the world will meet in Paris and attempt to hammer out a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions. And Pope Francis hopes that the world's Catholics, as well as other major religions, will be a big part of serious climate action. This includes a series of steps next year. Francis is expected to tell the planet's 1.2 billion Catholics why acting on climate change is essential to the faith using an influential church document called an encyclical. This has been long-rumored, but will reportedly be released to the world's 5,000 bishops and 400,000 priests following a papal visit to the hurricane-damaged city of Tacloban in the Philippines. In September, the Pope will take his message to the U.N. General Assembly in a New York address next year, according to John Vidal of the Guardian, who cited Vatican insiders. He will reportedly personally lobby political and faith leaders there, with the goal of pushing them to commit to real action ahead of the Paris meetings in December of next year [thinkprogress.org]

» December 29 2014 - Energy, Climate Change, Clean Technologies, High-Energy Innovation Report. In the coming decades, most of the innovation in clean energy technologies needed to combat climate change will likely occur in rapidly industrializing rather than developed nations. This report identifies and maps promising international efforts by private firms and governments in China, India, the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Africa to advance four low-carbon technologies -- shale gas, nuclear, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and solar PV -- and makes the case for more collaborations between nations [thebreakthrough.org]

» December 29 2014 - Renewable Energy, The Coming Era, Geopolitics. The coming era of unlimited - and free - clean energy. In the 1980s, leading consultants were skeptical about cellular phones. McKinsey & Company noted that the handsets were heavy, batteries didn’t last long, coverage was patchy, and the cost per minute was exorbitant. It predicted that in 20 years the total market size would be about 900,000 units, and advised AT&T to pull out. McKinsey was wrong, of course. There were more than 100 million cellular phones in use in 2000; there are billions now. Costs have fallen so far that even the poor — all over world — can afford a cellular phone. The experts are saying the same about solar energy now. [...] They too are wrong. Solar will be as ubiquitous as cellular phones are [...] solar power has been doubling every two years for the past 30 years — as costs have been dropping. [...] solar energy is only six doublings - or less than 14 years - away from meeting 100 percent of today's energy needs [...] In places such as Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and the Southwest United States, residential-scale solar production has already reached "grid parity" [washingtonpost.com]

» December 29 2014 - Oil Price, Economic warfare, US, Saudi Arabia, Geopolitics. In the 2007-2008 financial and economic crisis, one of the things that's been pointed out is that international capital, as such, actually collaborated on a solution. The Fed, American Fed, gave money even to European banks and others. And instead of retreating into trade wars that often lead to real wars, there was a systemic collaboration trying to deal with problem. So was that the end of this kind of economic warfare? Well, maybe not. We're seeing economic warfare now. Saudi Arabians have moved the price of oil down into the 40s. There's a backup into the 60s. There's a question of might it even go down into the high 30s. It's undermining, even destroying some major economies in the world--the Russians, the Iranians, the Venezuelans. Maybe it's even going to harm/hurt the Canadians. But what's driving all this? And are we seeing a market mechanism, or are we seeing economic warfare? [...] to talk about all of this is Larry Wilkerson, retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary where he teaches courses on US national security. senior seminar instructor in the Honors Department at the George Washington University entitled "National Security Decision Making." [therealnews.com]

» December 28 2014 - Oil Price, Supply Glut, Geopolitics. Supply Correction Will Support Oil Price in 2015. As the year draws to a close, if you chose an assessment point for the Brent front month futures contract price in June and squared it against the current price in December, chances are you'll record an oil price decline of around a whopping 46% over the period. [...] the drop should be described as a 'supply driven correction' not a 'slump' or a 'crash' as some love to call it. [...] the current fall is not similar to 2008-09. That was caused by a global crisis of confidence coupled with a massive drop in economic activity triggered by a once in a generation financial tsunami. The present price decline can be explained away by two short words - supply glut. Furthermore, accompanying the glut is an uncertain level of economic activity in various countries, especially non-OECD nations considered huge importers of oil. With oil producers in overdrive, I see no conspiracies here either. In a competitive buyers' market with China calling the shots (but not buying as much), the US importing less (and producing a lot more) and OPEC wanting to keep hold of its 30% global market share (yet scared of losing it) - a decline was all but inevitable [forbes.com]

» December 28 2014 - Renewable Energy, Oil Prices, Energy Markets. Will solar, wind and biomass buckle under the pressure of this low-priced petroleum glut? Historically, lower fossil fuel prices have impacted renewable energy resources like kryptonite - for example in the 1980s and 1990s, when nascent solar, wind and geothermal markets in California keeled over as North America suddenly became awash in cheap oil and natural gas. But energy markets dynamics have changed in the 21st century. In fact, when it comes to electricity, oil and renewables hardly mix at all anymore. That's because diesel and other petroleum-based fuels account for only 5% of global power generation today, according to the International Energy Agency, compared to a full quarter piece of the pie in 1973. Diesel is even less relevant in US power markets, where it makes up only 1% of generation [pvbuzz.com]

» December 27 2014 - Oil Prices, US, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, China, Economics, Geopolitics. A plunge in oil prices has sent tremors through the global political and economic order, setting off an abrupt shift in fortunes that has bolstered the interests of the United States and pushed several big oil-exporting nations — particularly those hostile to the West, like Russia, Iran and Venezuela — to the brink of financial crisis. The nearly 50 percent decline in oil prices since June has had the most conspicuous impact on the Russian economy and President Vladimir V. Putin. The former finance minister Aleksei L. Kudrin, a longtime friend of Mr. Putin's, warned this week of a "full-blown economic crisis" and called for better relations with Europe and the United States. But the ripple effects are spreading much more broadly than that. The price plunge may also influence Iran’s deliberations over whether to agree to a deal on its nuclear program with the West; force the oil-rich nations of the Middle East to reassess their role in managing global supply; and give a boost to the economies of the biggest oil-consuming nations, notably the United States and China [...] The price drop, said Edward N. Luttwak, a longtime Pentagon adviser and author of several books on geopolitical and economic strategy, "is knocking down America's principal opponents without us even trying." [nytimes.com]

» December 27 2014 - Renewable Energy, Energy Storage, Grid Connected Battery Bank, California. California's goal is to produce at least 33% of its electricity from renewable sources, and while there's plenty of sunshine and wind, their production fluctuates throughout the day, sometimes producing more than needed and other times falling short. Regardless of what's creating the baseload electricity, peaker plants are needed to provide quick demand response. When Southern California Edison (SCE) sent out a request for bids on a 100 megawatt peaker plant, they received over 1800 responses. The winner turned out to be AES, an energy company that builds power plants of nearly every flavor: coal, diesel, gas, oil, wind, etc. What might be surprising is that the chosen technology isn't any of those - it's the world's largest battery. Most peakers burn natural gas to fire turbine generators. But gas-fired plants have disadvantages: they're expensive to build, they depend on a fossil fuel whose price is in constant flux, and they take several minutes to come online. After weighing the costs and benefits, SCE decided that battery storage is the most reliable and cost-effective solution, so they awarded AES Energy Storage a 20 year contract to install and operate grid-connected 100 MW "peaker plant" battery bank. Neither AES nor SCE will release the financial terms of the contract [engineering.com]

» December 26 2014 - Oil and Gas, Energy Security, EU, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Geopoltics. Europe is looking at countries within the so-called oil and gas rich 'strategic energy ellipse' to replace its dependence on Russian energy [...] The area within the ellipse - which stretches from western Siberia to the Arabian Peninsula - holds some 70 per cent of the world's proved oil and natural gas reserves. Russia has been the main supplier of oil and natural gas to Europe for more than 40 years. But its involvement in Crimea and over Ukraine has put it in a position where it is now no longer considered by Brussels as the preferred energy provider. Europe's hunt for a key supplier is moving elsewhere [worldreview.info]

» December 26 2014 - Energy, Biomass, Japan. JFE Engineering Corp. and partners won an order to build a biomass plant for the city of Toyohashi in Aichi prefecture, central Japan. The 14.8 billion yen ($123 million) plant will use sewage and food waste to generate power, JFE Engineering said in a statement today. JFE has a 60 percent stake in a company that will build and operate the plant. Kajima Corp. is among three other companies taking part [bnef.com]

» December 25 2014 - Oil Prices, Opec Production, Saudi Arabia. Saudis dig in to protect Opec's market share [...] In a series of interviews with specialist energy publications and other reporters on the sidelines of an Arab energy conference, he [Ali Al-Naimi] spelt out why Opec may no longer be the mechanism to balance an oversupplied market. He spoke of his role in persuading the 12 member cartel of the reasons to keep production at current levels. "As a policy for Opec - and I convinced Opec of this - even Mr al Badri [Opec secretary-general] is now convinced, it is not in the interest of Opec producers to cut their production," Mr Naimi told the Middle East Economic Survey. "Whether it [the price] goes down to $20 a barrel, $40 a barrel, $50 a barrel, $60 a barrel, it is irrelevant," he said. This was a strategy not just in response to the current oil price rout, but also for the future [ft.com]

» December 24 2014 - Climate Change, EU, Emissions Trading Scheme, Sandbag's Report. EU policymakers are now discussing fundamental reform of the Emissions Trading Scheme, both in ambition and design. The 2030 Climate & Energy package will change the trajectory of the cap and the way allowances within the cap are distributed, whilst the Market Stability Reserve attempts to tackle the vast surplus of emission rights that currently undermine the functioning of the scheme. This year also offers the first chance to take stock of the Phase 3 reforms that entered into force in 2013. While there have been significant improvements, these have not been enough to tackle the scheme's main problems. Moreover, 2014 is the first year of the 'backloading' decision and it is already clear that it will fail to protect the scheme from the effects of a structural oversupply. Across Europe, emissions in the traded sector continued to fall last year (by ~3-4%) even as GDP crept back up (by 0.1%), but the low carbon price of just €4.56 on average is unlikely to be the cause. With the continued build-up of surplus allowances, reaching 2.1 billion at end of 2013, the price is expected to remain low. Despite it being the first year of a new phase, more spare allowances were released to the market in 2013 than the average oversupply in Phase 2. We believe official projections significantly underestimate the scale of the future surplus, which we estimate may reach as high as 4.5 billion by 2020 [sandbag.org.uk]

» December 24 2014 - Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, Article. Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells. Ocean acidification (OA) and the resultant changing carbonate saturation states is threatening the formation of calcium carbonate shells and exoskeletons of marine organisms. The production of biominerals in such organisms relies on the availability of carbonate and the ability of the organism to biomineralize in changing environments. To understand how biomineralizers will respond to OA the common blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, was cultured at projected levels of pCO2 (380, 550, 750, 1000 µatm) and increased temperatures (ambient, ambient plus 2°C). Nanoindentation (a single mussel shell) and microhardness testing were used to assess the material properties of the shells. Young's modulus (E), hardness (H) and toughness (KIC) were measured in mussel shells grown in multiple stressor conditions. OA caused mussels to produce shell calcite that is stiffer (higher modulus of elasticity) and harder than shells grown in control conditions. The outer shell (calcite) is more brittle in OA conditions while the inner shell (aragonite) is softer and less stiff in shells grown under OA conditions. Combining increasing ocean pCO2 and temperatures as projected for future global ocean appears to reduce the impact of increasing pCO2 on the material properties of the mussel shell. OA may cause changes in shell material properties that could prove problematic under predation scenarios for the mussels; however, this may be partially mitigated by increasing temperature [rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org]

» December 23 2014 - Global Energy, Oil Prices, Oil Production, Energy Security, Saudi Arabia, Warfare, ISIS, Geopolitics, Energy Intelligence Report. The modern era is replete with new forms of warfare that have recently started to emerge in a far more ostentatious manner than ever before. Amid multiple conspiracy theories regarding Saudi Arabia's plans to end the U.S. shale boom through an oil price war, or Russia putting the squeeze on European energy security in response to sanctions which have crippled its own energy sector, one thing is for sure: energy is being increasingly weaponized on a global scale. The recent fall in oil prices (WTI closed at $55.26, Brent at $60.13 on December 22), with a resultant knock-on effect on commodity prices in general, has shot energy security to the top of the international agenda. This has led to multiple deals on an unprecedented scale and the early signs of a shift in global energy and political dynamics. While not wishing to fan the flames of sensationalized conspiracy theory that are already flooding the media, it is more important now than ever before to examine the shifting geopolitical landscape and the potential consequences for the energy sector as a whole. Firstly, we have OPEC ministers on the PR campaign trail reiterating as often as possible that there is no price war with the United States (nor with Russia or Iran for that matter) and that the cartel should not be blamed for wanting to maintain their market share while adhering to the most basics tenets of capitalism [oilprice.com]

» December 23 2014 - Oil Prices, Oil Production, OPEC. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday blamed the oil price rout on producers outside Opec and reaffirmed their stance to keep output at current levels. Ali al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, said he was "100 per cent not pleased" with the near 50 per cent slide in crude oil prices since the middle of June, but said it was a lack of non-Opec co-operation that was a key contributor to the sharp decline [...] Mr Naimi said the kingdom would not cut production to prop up the market, even if non-Opec nations lowered output. "If they want to cut production they are welcome, we are not going to cut, certainly Saudi Arabia is not going to cut," he said. Global energy forecasters are expecting less demand for Opec oil in 2015 amid a rise in US shale production and a slowdown in demand in Europe and Asia. As such, many expect a significant surplus in the first half of next year [ft.com]

» December 23 2014 - Natural Gas, EU, Russia, South Stream, Geopolitics. East of Europe: The End of South Stream and the New Uneasy Strategic Triangle. The end of the South Stream project has been seen as a substantial shift in European energy governance. Its strategic implications, however, go way beyond energy. It signals zerbaijan. Most likely, this strategic triangle will be a very uneasy one. For Turkey, it will present new strategic challenges in terms of balancing its partnerships with Russia and Azerbaijan. What is more, the envisaged Russian-Turkish pipeline might further complicate Turkey's already strained relationship with Europe while making it increasingly dependent on European legislation [naturalgaseurope.com]

» December 23 2014 - Climate Change, Climate Science, Uncertainty, Nature Climate Change Article. Messaging climate change uncertainty. Climate change is full of uncertainty and the messengers of climate science are not getting the uncertainty narrative right. To communicate uncertainty one must first understand it, and then avoid repeating the mistakes of the past [nature.com]

» December 23 2014 - Climate Finance, Adaptation Fund, CDKN. The Adaptation Fund and CDKN, strategic partnership and creation of "Climate Finance Ready," a new website that will provide an online platform for climate finance readiness. The site will provide practitioners and others with best practices, news articles, links to resources, opportunities for sharing experiences, and more. With the Climate Finance Ready website, the Fund and CDKN aim foster ongoing dialogue and collaboration in climate finance readiness [climatefinanceready.org]

» December 22 2014 - Oil Industry, Oil Prices, UK. The United Kingdom's oil industry is taking a beating from low oil prices, so much so that it is "close to collapse." That comes from the head of the Association of UK Independent Oil and Gas Exploration Companies, otherwise known as Brindex. Robin Allan, the chairman of Brindex, says that the number of new oil projects that are profitable at $60 per barrel is close to zero [oilprice.com]

» December 22 2014 - Biofuels, Germany, Legislation. New German legislation, which will become effective in 2015, has resulted in a drastic improvement of the climate performance of biodiesel produced in Germany. But the effects the new rules will have on the German and wider EU biofuels market are still highly uncertain, says Elmar Baumann, Managing Director of the VDB, the Association of the German Biofuel Industry, in an interview with Energy Post. "All we know is that they will be profound." Starting from the 1st of January, the rules in the German biofuels market will change radically. Until now, the oil industry has been required to put a minimum percentage of biofuels on the market (6.25% energy content of their transport fuel sales). From 2015 onwards, this requirement does not hold any longer in Germany. Instead, the mineral oil sellers must now reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their products by 3.5% (4% in 2017 and 6% in 2020). (For now, they can only use alternative fuels to do this, later they can also reduce upstream emissions, e.g. caused by methane leakage.) [energypost.eu]

» December 22 2014 - Climate Finance, Nordic Climate Facility, Tecnologies' Transfer, Call for Proposals. The Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) promotes the transfer of technology, know-how and innovative ideas between the Nordic countries and developing countries facing climate change. The aim is to increase these countries' abilities to mitigate and adapt to climate change, contribute to sustainable development and alleviate poverty. NCF financing can be granted to partnerships between relevant Nordic institutions, organisations, companies or authorities, and qualified local partners located in eligible NDF partner countries. Inclusion of other partners from third countries is allowed. NCF is financed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) and administered by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO). The Call for Pre-qualification Proposals will be open until 30 January 2015 on this on-line application platform. The actual on-line application form will be made available later during December 2014 [ncfapplication.org]

» December 22 2014 - Natural Gas, LNG, Belfer Center, Discussion Paper. "Falling Short: A Reality Check for Global LNG Exports". In 2012, when many energy experts argued that oil production had peaked, Leonardo Maugeri published "Oil: The Next Revolution," which forecast a glut of oil and collapsing prices in the next several years. His prediction proved prescient. Now, as analysts look past today's oil-market drama to a near future of robust liquefied natural gas exports, Maugeri is again challenging conventional wisdom. The long-hoped-for and hyped-up gas market, he concludes, will disappoint. "Falling Short: A Reality Check for Global LNG Exports" details the new findings by Maugeri, a former oil industry executive who is now an associate with the Geopolitics of Energy project at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Key Findings: Global gas market growth will fall short of expectations in this decade; Cheap shale gas makes U.S. export projects cost competitive, but few will survive; Skyrocketing costs of Australian LNG are bad for investors, good for Asian buyers; Low oil prices will keep Canada out of the LNG export market for now; New global gas resources will not join the LNG export market before 2020 [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.ed]

» December 21 2014 - PV, Grid Parity, US. PV, Grid parity analysis and tipping point. [...] Kann notes that traditional grid parity analyses ignore utility rate structures. He cites Connecticut as an example of why that matters. By raising its solar fixed charge, Connecticut will impede the competitiveness of solar for the next few years. GTM Research has undertaken a sophisticated analysis to determine the grid-competitiveness of solar. That data set and calculations were circulated to all the attendees at this year's U.S. Solar Market Insight conference in San Diego. Kann suggests that the tipping point for solar is not some mushy concept of "grid parity," but rather whether solar can offer a customer 10 percent net savings in year one. He suggests that grid parity is "not that exciting -- we have to entice the customer with the savings of solar." GTM Research has picked the 10 percent year-one savings as its tipping-point metric. Kann points us to where the U.S. stands today. In 2014, we have three states that have exceeded the tipping point, and four more at grid parity but not yet at the tipping point. He notes that in California, the vast majority of residential solar takes place outside of state incentive programs, and the same trend holds true in Arizona [greentechmedia.com]

» December 19 2014 - Nuclear Power, Fast Reactors, China. China's first sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor hit a milestone after operating at full capacity for 72 hours as of Thursday afternoon, a sign that China has fully mastered core technologies in fast reactor design. Fast neutron reactors, also called fast reactors, use a closed nuclear fuel cycle to optimize uranium use and reduce waste [...] The development of fast reactors is the second of China's three-step nuclear energy program, with the aim of cutting China's reliance on fossil fuel burning. China also intends to make fast reactors one of the priorities in its nuclear energy development program. The 65-megawatt experimental fast reactor is one of few fast reactors that has been grid connected. It can achieve 20 megawatt of capacity in electricity generation [news.xinhuanet.com]

» December 19 2014 - Environmental Governance, World Politics, Antropocene. New Book, Earth System Governance. World Politics in the Anthropocene. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Humans are no longer spectators who need to adapt to their natural environment. Our impact on the earth has caused changes that are outside the range of natural variability and are equivalent to such major geological disruptions as ice ages. Some scientists argue that we have entered a new epoch in planetary history: the Anthropocene. In such an era of planet-wide transformation, we need a new model for planet-wide environmental politics. In this book, Frank Biermann proposes “earth system” governance as just such a new paradigm. Biermann offers both analytical and normative perspectives. He provides detailed analysis of global environmental politics in terms of five dimensions of effective governance: agency, particularly agency beyond that of state actors; architecture of governance, from local to global levels; accountability and legitimacy; equitable allocation of resources; and adaptiveness of governance systems. Biermann goes on to offer a wide range of policy proposals for future environmental governance and a revitalized United Nations, including the establishment of a World Environment Organization and a UN Sustainable Development Council, new mechanisms for strengthened representation of civil society and scientists in global decision making, innovative systems of qualified majority voting in multilateral negotiations, and novel institutions to protect those impacted by global change. Drawing on ten years of research, Biermann formulates earth system governance as an empirical reality and a political necessity [earthsystemgovernance.org]

» December 19 2014 - Coal, CCS, UK. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is seeking partners to deliver a project to identify the next phase of sites deep under the seabed in the North Sea and other UK waters to store the CO2 emissions from coal and gas power stations and heavy industry plants. The news comes the day after UK Prime Minister David Cameron rejected calls for a decarbonisation target for the power sector for 2030, arguing the government first needed to see whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) can prove effective. Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons Liaison Committee, he argued that plans to developing fracking projects and maximise oil and gas output from the North Sea was justified on the grounds that CCS could enable the UK to exploit fossil fuels and cut emissions. The ETI project is funded by DECC as the government looks to make the most of the North Sea and development of CCS as a key part of ensuring that the UK can transition to a low carbon energy system in the most secure and cost-effective way. The next step is expected to build on the work of the ETI's UK Storage Appraisal Project, which has created CO2Stored – the UK's CO2 storage atlas, available through The Crown Estate and the British Geological Survey [powerengineeringint.com]

» December 19 2014 - Renewable Energy, Mining Industry, Chile, China, Australia. the Chilean mining industry is increasingly run on renewable energy, which will soon be bigger than conventional power sector in Chile, and cost-competitive. The Chileans ought to thank the Chinese for this, writes Australian professor John Mathews, whose new book, The Greening of Capitalism, has just been published by Stanford University Press. Mathews adds that Australian miners should take a cue from their Chilean colleagues [energypost.eu]

» December 19 2014 - Energy Storage, New Batteries, Smart Grid, Innovation Model, US. The stated goal of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), one of the U.S. Department of Energy's Innovation Hubs, comprising 14 partner institutions led by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), is to develop the battery of the future. Like Daniel Burnham, they are making no little plans. The need for better batteries is obvious: To modernize the electrical grid so that more renewable energy can be sourced and delivered, thereby reducing our dependency on fossil fuels; and to accelerate the electrification of vehicles, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as the consumption of fossil fuels. And if a significant fraction of vehicles were electrified, the grid would need to be upgraded anyway just to handle the load. The need for better batteries is not just about technical superiority, however. It's also about economic security. In November 2012 Argonne won a $120 million, five-year grant from the Department of Energy to launch JCESR and to take up a "grand challenge" in energy storage. JCESR’s goal is to make batteries that store five times the energy at one-fifth of the cost within five years [...] The leaders of JCESR shrewdly recognized that to harness the contributions of such a large and diverse group, they would need to invent an entirely new model for the interactions among the participants. In designing their organization they had a particular emphasis on ensuring that traditional impediments to commercialization were removed [...] The venture capital model of funding innovation has long recognized that to achieve outsize gains and create breakthroughs or "disruptive innovations", you have to take a lot of risk and expect some failure as a cost of doing business. Despite the failures, on average, this model has been astonishingly successful in creating transformative innovations and companies like Intel, Apple, Google, Amazon.com and Genentech [forbes.com]

» December 19 2014 - Oil Prices, Renewable Energy, Carbon Tax, Climate Change, Decarbonization, Geopolitics. Saudi Arabia is encouraging the dramatic collapse of oil prices in order to damage the surging global clean energy industry, British entrepreneur Richard Branson has claimed. "They have done it before and it hurt. They don't just want to damage the US fracking industry, but also the clean energy business. The collapse of oil prices is going to make it much more difficult for clean energy," [...] But the British entrepreneur said that now was the time for governments wanting to reduce their carbon emissions to introduce a carbon tax on fossil fuel users because the tax would be cushioned by the fall in prices. "If governments want a carbon tax [at the climate summit ] in Paris next year, then it would be the best time. What the clean energy business needs is a gap between it and coal and oil." According to Branson, who part-owns Virgin airlines and has invested an estimated £300m in a succession of green fuel, solar and other clean-tech energy developments, the dramatic rise of renewables over the last few years has hurt oil producing countries as much as fracking. “Before the oil price collapsed, solar was actually cheaper [than oil]. If oil goes down to $30-$40 a barrel, then it will make it much harder for clean energy. Governments are going to have to think hard how to adapt to low oil prices," [theguardian.com]

» December 18 2014 - Climate Change, Decarbonization, US, DDPP's Report. At the conclusion of the recent COP20 in Lima, Peru, all countries agreed to make cuts to their fossil fuel emissions and submit their "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)" to UN in the spring of 2015. Additionally, the Lima deal will also compare emission reductions among countries and see how the collective contributions stack up against the global commitment to limit global warming to less than 2°C. A recent report issued by the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (DDPP), Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States, shows how the US can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, using existing or near-commercial technologies, in line with the 2°C limit on warming [unsdsn.org]

» December 18 2014 - Oil, Geopolitcs, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, US. Saudi Arabia is once again using its "oil weapon," but instead of driving up prices and cutting supply, it's doing the reverse. In the face of a global slide in oil prices since June, the kingdom has refused to cut its production, which would help to drive prices back up. Instead, the Saudis led the charge to prevent OPEC from cutting production at the cartel's last meeting on Nov 27 [...] The kingdom has two targets in its latest oil war: it is trying to squeeze U.S. shale oil—which requires higher prices to remain competitive with conventional production—out of the market. More broadly, the Saudis are also punishing two rivals, Russia and Iran [blogs.reuters.com]

» December 18 2014 - Gas, Pipeline, South Africa. $US6 billion gas pipeline proposed for South Africa and Mozambique. South African oil and gas company SacOil, South Africa's Public Investment Corporation SOC Ltd, and the Government of Mozambique's Instituto de Gestao das Participacoes do Estado have signed an agreement to evaluate the feasibility of a $US6 billion 2,600 km gas pipeline and distribution facility to carry natural gas from Mozambique's Rovuma fields into South Africa [pipelinesinternational.com]

» December 17 2014 - Coal, Climate Change, Clean Technology, CSIS Conference. 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm. Revisiting the Role of Coal: Competitiveness, Climate and Security [csis.org]

» December 17 2014 - Coal, Climate Change, Global Warming Talks. The Real Outcome of Global Warming Talks in Lima: A Future for Coal. [...] For the first time, all nations agreed that all nations must have a plan to curb greenhouse gases. That includes not just reducing pollution ("mitigation" in the jargon), but also "adaptation" (preparing for the climate changes already in the works), "finance" (money for the poor), "technology development" (better ways to get energy or reduce pollution), "capacity building" (helping poor countries develop) and "transparency" (ensuring nobody cheats). At the same time, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, with 2013 marking another record year for pollution, as evidenced by the constant hum of diesel generators in Lima that helped keep the heated negotiations cooler, among other energy needs. The single largest source of climate changing pollution continues to be burning coal, whether in wealthy nations like the U.S. or developing economies like China. The shift of a single word—from a "shall" to a "may"-means the world will very likely continue to burn lots of coal. Instead of being required to provide "quantifiable information" about their greenhouse-gas emissions, countries may choose whether or not to include those statistics in their pledges instead, known in the jargon as "intended nationally determined contribution" [...] Coal remains the fastest growing energy source in the world, according to the International Energy Agency, though the rate of that growth has begun to slow. China alone burned nearly 200 million metric tons more of the dirty black rock in 2013 than in 2012- more growth than the rest of the world combined—and China now burns more than half of all the coal that gets burned around the world [scientificamerican.com]

» December 17 2014 - Energy Challenge, Water Risks, SBC FactBook. Introduction to the Water and Energy Challenge. The local Water-Energy equation. Energy & water are highly interconnected locally & globally. A new SBC Energy Institute FactBook "Introduction to the Water and Energy Challenge", finds that: Freshwater supply will not meet forecast demand, requiring compromises; Water shortages are already affecting energy supply; Location-specific solutions will be required. The FactBook provides: A global picture of the main water resources; An overview of the current and forecast mismatch between supply and demand, and its likely consequences if left unaddressed; A summary of water risks and their multi-dimensional nature [sbc.slb.com]

» December 17 2014 - Oil Prices, Iran, Petrodollars, Annual Budget. Iran's annual budget for next fiscal year is dependent on petrodollars for 30%, an unprecedented figure in the past century, a vice-president said. [...] the government has drafted the budget based on $72 oil for next fiscal year which starts in March 2015 [shana.ir]

» December 17 2014 - Oil Prices, Russia, Iran. The countries that these days have been exerting efforts to push down the price of oil expose themselves to major risks, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollohian told a news conference at TASS on Wednesday [itar-tass.com]

» December 17 2014 - Climate Change, The Lima Accord, 350.org's View. The Lima Accord: A Great Success or Dooming Planet to Climate Catastrophe?. 350.org's Co-founder Jamie Henn says nations are not yet committing enough money to thwart climate change and explains why next year's Paris conference a referendum on the planet's future [therealnews.com]

» December 17 2014 - Energy Transition, Germany, US, C2ES-Ecofys Report. US-German Clean Energy Leadership Series (Volume II). The transition from a fossil-based to a renewables-based electricity system relies on active engagement with the public. As renewable energy continues to expand and the public becomes more aware of the downsides of fossil-based electricity, engagement on these issues is expanding. This volume of the US-German Clean Energy Leadership Series discusses the popular view of clean energy in these two countries and then explores approaches to how this opinion is being expressed through political and financial means. The US-German Clean Energy Leadership Series features best practices in renewable energy policy in Germany and the United States. It is compiled by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and Ecofys [ecofys.com]

» December 16 2014 - Climate Investment, Country-by-Coutry BNEF Report. CSIS Energy and National Security Program, presentation of the recently released Climatescope 2014. The Climatescope is a unique country-by-country assessment, interactive report and index that evaluates the investment climate for climate-related investment worldwide. It profiles 55 countries and evaluates their ability to attract capital for low-carbon energy sources while building a greener economy. The Climatescope is a snapshot of where clean energy policy and finance stand today and a guide to where clean energy can go. 9:30 am - 11:00 am [csis.org, watch live]

» December 16 2014 - Oil, Prices. Brent futures slumped as much 3.3 percent to its lowest since May 2009 in London. West Texas Intermediate, the New York- traded grade, dropped below $55 for the first time in five years. U.S. drillers are benefiting as costs fall almost as quickly as prices, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. OPEC shouldn't be expected to cut output while other producers continue to expand, the United Arab Emirates energy minister said. Crude oil slumped about 45 percent this year as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries sought to defend market share amid a U.S. shale boom that's exacerbating a global glut. The group, responsible for 40 percent of the world's supply, will refrain from curbing output, U.A.E. Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Dec. 14. [...] Brent for January settlement, which expires today, dropped as much as $2.04, to $59.02 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. It traded at a premium of $4.96 to WTI, compared with $5.15 yesterday. The more-active February contract was down $1.82 at $59.39. ICE's Brent futures contract is based on the underlying physical price of four North Sea oil grades. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait are among nations to sell some of their crude at premiums or discounts to Brent. West Texas Intermediate for January delivery fell as much as $1.81 to $54.10 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It decreased $1.90 to $55.91 yesterday. The volume of all futures traded was about 79 percent above the 100-day average. Prices are set for the biggest annual loss since 2008. [bloomberg.finanza.repubblica.it]

» December 16 2014 - Climate Change, Lima Call to Acion, National Mitigation Pledges, Geopolitics, IIEA's analysis. The key to interpreting the Lima Call to Action is understanding national mitigation pledges (called INDCs), and their central role in ongoing negotiations. The Lima outcome brought quite a bit of clarity to these pledges, but also highlighted key differences between major countries and challenges to be overcome. Further to the Lima outcome, national pledges are: 1. Required of all parties, though they must reflect national circumstances, and are unlikely to be legally binding; 2. Must be transparent and comparable, and guidelines were set out to this end; 3. Not required to include adaptation or climate finance; and 4. Not subject to UN or peer review before the conference in Paris in December 2015, although the UN will make a report on the aggregate impact of pledges in November 2015. Pledges now on the table are not sufficient to keep global warming to within 2 degrees, and on the basis of what was agreed it is difficult to see how the ambition gap will be closed by the end of 2015. Nor is it clear how the progress on implementing pledges will be monitored post-2020. These are key issues to be grappled with in coming months. Overall, much work remains to be done before Paris, as evidenced by a 37-page negotiating text. But at least there is a text. That said, the positions of the four big blocs have remained almost unchanged: 1. The EU still wants a robust legally binding agreement; 2. The US still wants a hybrid agreement that does not take the form of a Treaty; 3.China and India are still opposed to an external monitoring, review and verification processes; 4. The Less Developed Countries still want greater commitments to financial assistance from the developed countries [iiea.com]

» December 15 2014 - Coal, Global Demand, IEA Report. Global coal demand to reach 9 billion tonnes per year by 2019. Despite decarbonisation push, China will not see 'peak coal' during outlook period. Global demand for coal over the next five years will continue marching higher, breaking the 9-billion-tonne level by 2019, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual Medium-Term Coal Market Report released today. The report notes that despite China's efforts to moderate its coal consumption, it will still account for three-fifths of demand growth during the outlook period. Moreover, China will be joined by India, ASEAN countries and other countries in Asia as the main engines of growth in coal consumption, offsetting declines in Europe and the United States [iea.org]

» December 15 2014 - Oil Prices, Iran, Saudi Arabia, US, Geopolitics. To many observers, OPEC's refusal to cut production and thus shore up oil prices was the beginning of a price war with the United States so that Saudi Arabia, the cartel's most influential member, could regain the market share it had been losing during the recent American oil boom. Now Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, is saying that Riyadh, through OPEC, is also using "treachery" to harm the economies of fellow oil-producing Muslim states in the Middle East. "The fall of the oil prices is not just something ordinary and economical. This is not due to only global recession," Rouhani told his cabinet on Wednesday. "The main reason for it is [a] political conspiracy by certain countries against the interest of the region and the Islamic world and it is only in the interest of some other countries." Rouhani added, "Iran and people of the region will not forget such conspiracies, or in other words, treachery against the interests of the Muslim world." Saudi Arabia wasn't mentioned by name, but most observers say Riyadh was the focus of Rouhani's criticism [oilprice.com]

» December 15 2014 - Oil Market, Oil Stocks, London Stock Exchange. Oil stocks lead FTSE 100 recovery. A better session for energy stocks today helped the FTSE 100 Index steady after its worst week of trading since August 2011. Investors found some value in a number of heavyweight oil companies as the price of Brent crude stabilised at around $63 a barrel. Despite more big losses for Asian markets overnight, the FTSE 100 Index was 30.5 points higher at 6331.1, with Royal Dutch Shell up 46p at 2077.5p, Tullow Oil up 5% or 19.3p to 386.6p and BG Group 26.6p higher at 845.6p. The mood was in sharp contrast to the slump of 2.5% seen on Friday as more than £112 billion was wiped from the value of blue-chip shares. It completed the worst week in more than three years, with shares down by 6.6% due to the tumbling price of oil and jitters over the global economy [energyvoice.com]

» December 15 2014 - Climate Change, The Lima Call for Climate Action, Nicolas Stern. [...] The five pages of text, dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action, outline a way forward on hotly contested issues, including the process for countries to set out their pledges to cut annual emissions of greenhouse gases after 2020. The overall aim remains the creation of an international agreement on climate change which is due to be settled at the next UN summit, COP21, to be held in Paris in December 2015. Without a successful outcome in Paris it is unlikely the world can avoid a rise in global average surface temperature of more than two degrees celsius, which is recognised as a threshold beyond which the risks of climate change are likely to become unacceptably large. [...] While the creation of the Green Climate Fund to administer parts of the funding has important symbolic value, it is in danger of distracting from the most important issue. Over the next 15 years as much as $4tn a year will be invested in the emerging and developing countries for infrastructure, such as roads and buildings. It is this investment that must be transformed. If it is, economic growth can be strong, cleaner, less congested, more efficient, more biodiverse - sustainable and much more attractive. If these investments lock countries into high-carbon economies with dirty growth, powered by fossil fuels, the world will not be able to reach its climate target of avoiding warming of more than two degrees. And the developing countries will also experience greater air pollution, which already takes millions of lives each year and damages the economies of many countries, including China and Germany [theguardian.com]

» December 14 2014 - Climate Change, Lima Deal. UN climate change talks have been saved from the brink of collapse by a "weak" agreement that could let countries dodge setting clear targets to cut their emissions. Negotiations in the Peruvian capital Lima dragged on to the early hours of Sunday morning - a day and a half after their scheduled close - amid deep disagreements between rich and poor nations over the steps they should take to tackle global warming. The divisions had threatened to derail the talks altogether but eventually resulted in a "bare minimum" deal, thrashed out by delegates who had barely slept in three days, that left many key disputes unresolved [telegraph.co.uk]

» December 14 2014 - Oil Prices, OPEC. OPEC will stand by its decision not to cut crude output even if oil prices fall as low as $40 a barrel and will wait at least three months before considering an emergency meeting, the United Arab Emirates' energy minister said [bloomberg.com]

» December 14 2014 - Oil Prices Drop, Risks, Mexico, USA. U.S. policymakers who worry about the impact of energy developments on geopolitics typically think of high oil prices as bad news and low prices as an unalloyed good. But a sustained drop in oil prices can be dangerous as well. This paper investigates Mexican vulnerability to falling oil prices—and spillovers to the United States-to show how troublesome such a development might be [cfr.org]

» December 12 2014 - Coal, Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs), Coal's Environmental Performance, Australia, China, EU, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, USA, IEA Report. Coal is an important energy source for the power industry due to its low cost and wide distribution. Improving coal's environmental performance is key to its future role in the energy mix, especially as emissions regulations are becoming stricter and standards are now being introduced for previously unregulated pollutants, crucially for CO2. This report examines the policies that drive research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of clean coal technologies (CCTs) and CO2 capture in the power generating industry for Australia, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa and the USA. Domestic energy resources, political environments, market policies and mechanisms, and the level of collaboration amongst national entities can all shape the approaches that a country takes to developing CCTs. Each country chapter begins with a discussion of their energy, coal and climate policies as these can have a major influence on their coal RD&D programmes. It then moves on to describe RD&D policy and any specific CCT and CCS initiatives and programmes. Roadmaps for the development of CCT and CCS are included, where available. The amount the national government spends on RD&D and, where possible, on CCT and CCS is addressed. International collaboration on RD&D is outlined, followed by a brief description of the major national government-funded demonstration and development CCT projects. Finally, the national research organisations carrying out CCT and CCS research are briefly described [iea-coal.org.uk]

» December 12 2014 - Vattenfall's Strategy, Decreasing CO2 Exposure, Selling Lignite Business, Sweden, Germany. [...] We've started the process of selling the lignite business in Germany. It's a considerable business: 60 TWh, 8,000 people and about 10% of German energy supply. It's about one-third of all our electricity production [...] We want to decrease our exposure to CO2. If you look at our charter, we have a very tough sustainability view from our owner [the Swedish State] on how the company should go forward. It is very clearly said that exposure to CO2 has to go down. This move will cut our CO2 emissions from 80 to 15-20 million tonnes. So that's a 75% emissions cut for taking away 30% of electricity production. We also think that Vattenfall is not in itself a very good owner of these assets. We're a state-owned company and I think there could be other owners that are better [...] Lignite is going to be important for Germany's energy supply for quite some time to come. Even though you're building more renewables they will just replace the nuclear which you have to close down. And then you come to next phase: how much renewables can you have and still have a non-black out situation? Perhaps we need storage. If you have energy storage technologies on a big scale, of course you can run huge wind farms, store part of what they produce and then send it back to the grid when the wind dies down. Like that you can have a stable system. But until that's scaled up and running what do we have? We can run gas, maybe, but it might come from countries we don't want to be dependent on [energypost.eu]

» December 12 2014 - Climate Change, Emissions, Agriculture, Forestry, Land Use (AFOLU), FAOSTAT. The FAOSTAT Emissions database for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) has been updated. [...] The database was updated with new estimates for Agriculture and Other Land Use for the year 2012. These are now available in FAOSTAT, for the first time ever in the world. The FAOSTAT emissions estimates come with metadata information in English, Spanish and French, detailing the estimation procedures with reference to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. The metadata, accessible online under both the browse and download sections of FAOSTAT, can assist statistical offices involved in the collection and validation of agricultural/forestry statistics to identify the appropriate variables needed for GHG estimates. Metadata are also useful for environmental agencies that compile and report GHG emissions for the AFOLU sector [faostat3.fao.org]

» December 11 2014 - Coal, Climate Change, Clean Technology, CSIS Conference. Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014 | 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm. While the robust development of shale gas and the proposed regulation on greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants challenge the viability coal in the United States, the forecast for coal demand remains strong for developing parts of the world for decades to come as economic development continues to drive their energy and electricity demand. Simultaneously, the worldwide momentum to address climate change and the continued growth in coal consumption-primarily outside the United States-make the development and deployment of clean technology pressing. In this context, the CSIS Energy and National Security Program is pleased to host an event examining the key factors that affect coal usage in major economies as well as the current state of clean coal technology deployment. Over the course of the conference, speakers will examine coal from economic competitiveness, development, energy security and climate perspectives, thus providing insights into the future role of coal [csis.org]

» December 11 2014 - U.S., China, International Relations, Geopolitics, Book Chapter. Steven E. Miller's introduction to The Next Great War? The Roots of World War I and the Risk of U.S.-China Conflict appears below in an excerpted version. The drama of 1914 draws our gaze backward, but an equally haunting question arises if we look ahead: Could 1914 happen again? Could the forces and factors that put the great powers on what turned out to be an unstoppable path to war operate in our own time? If there is to be a great power conflict in the era ahead, it seems most likely that this will involve a rising China challenging a predominant America. Could there be a 1914 redux between these two powerful states? The analyses that follow highlight or reveal at least as many differences as similarities; 2014 does not wholly resemble 1914. Many of the factors that are thought to have contributed to the outbreak of war in 1914 do not exist today. In particular, many of the intellectual and internal pathologies that made war more likely and made the crisis difficult to resolve peacefully are absent from the current environment. Put simply, many of those making fateful choices in 1914 (as well as the elites around them and the publics they governed) were influenced by a toxic stew of pernicious beliefs. Bad ideas fed bad decisions, which led to war in 1914. The bad ideas flourished in various domestic settings and were incorporated into the worldview of dominant domestic coalitions in several key countries. The 1914 analogy is clearly an imperfect framework for assessing U.S.-China relations, but nevertheless war between Washington and Beijing remains possible. Full recreation of the environment of 1914 is not a prerequisite for war. Further, some lessons from the outbreak of World War I do seem at least potentially relevant today and identify sources of worry and grounds for vigilance. On the international level, the stage is clearly set for rivalry. If U.S.-China relations turn significantly more hostile and competitive, there is a clear potential for arms racing, for destructive diplomatic maneuvering, for Cold War, and for conflict. In a more toxic environment, one of Asia's many potential flash points could ignite a war; the United States' alliances make it likely that Washington will be involved [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu]

» December 11 2014 - Oil Prices, Oil Production, Opec. The price of oil took another dive Wednesday to new five-year lows after OPEC projected the world will need less of its oil next year. A U.S. government report showing an increase in oil supplies also pressured prices. Benchmark U.S. crude was down $3.01, or 5 percent, in midday trading to $60.81 a barrel. That's its lowest level since July of 2009 and 43 percent below its high for this year. Brent crude, an international benchmark used to price oil sold to many U.S. refineries, was down $3.04 to $63.80. OPEC said it expects demand for its crude to fall next year because of lower global demand and higher production from non-OPEC countries. Also, the Energy Department said U.S. supplies of oil rose last week. Analysts were expecting a decline [pennenergy.com]

» December 10 2014 - Natural Gas, South Stream, Russia, Italy, Eni, Geopolitics. The "Putinian Pax Energetica"-Russia's strategic use of energy exports and pipeline politics to influence countries in its neighborhood-is faltering, and Italy now appears to be taking countermeasures to deal with it [...] The South Stream gas project was estimated most recently at about $50 billion and was to connect Russia with Bulgaria by circumventing Ukraine along a route on the Black Sea floor, and then proceeding further westward on European territory. Italy's state-owned energy producer ENI had a 20-percent share in the venture, which was spearheaded by the Russian state-run natural gas monopoly Gazprom-the remaining 30-percent stake was equally divided between France's EDF and Germany's BASF-Wintershall. With the pipelines cancellation, ENI can rely on a pair of safeguard clauses that allow it to sell its stakes to Gazprom and drop out of the project undamaged. ENI also has its own 43-percent controlling stake in the Italian oil and gas service company Saipem, which, in March 2014, secured a $3 billion contract to build an undersea section of South Stream. Now, to save its investment, it might invoke international trade law protection, unless part of the work it already carried out is used to construct a distinct gas pipeline to Turkey [...] In its bid to diversify oil and gas sources, so as to ease its dependence on Russia's energy exports, Italy is increasingly looking to the development of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), which will link gas fields in Azerbaijan to the Italian/Adriatic region via Georgia, Turkey, Greece and Albania. The SGC is expected to connect three separate conduits: the existing South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) and the planned Trans-Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The consortium of nations involved in the SGC project is also keen to extend the energy corridor eastward to natural gas producer Turkmenistan through a proposed Trans-Caspian gas pipeline. Recent agreements that ENI signed with the Turkmen State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources and state-controlled energy company Turkmenneft should be seen in this perspective. ENI has obtained an extension to 2032 of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing upstream activities in the onshore Nebit Dag block, in western Turkmenistan. More importantly, the Italian energy company has gained the possibility to expand its operations to Turkmenistan's offshore blocks in the Caspian Sea. South Stream's demise, along with ENI's increased focus on Africa, not least on countries like Mozambique, will prompt a change in energy relations between Rome and Moscow. These new dynamics notwithstanding, it seems that Italy has not entirely scrapped its rather fanciful ambition of bridging the geopolitical gap between the Kremlin and EU. It is worth remembering that Russia is still the largest supplier of oil and gas to Italy, as it accounts approximately for 30 percent and 15 percent of Rome's gas and oil imports, respectively [jamestown.org, E. Scimia]

» December 10 2014 - Natural Gas, Methane Emissions, Measurements, U.S., PNAS Article. Measurements of methane emissions at natural gas production sites in the United States. Engineering estimates of methane emissions from natural gas production have led to varied projections of national emissions. This work reports direct measurements of methane emissions at 190 onshore natural gas sites in the United States (150 production sites, 27 well completion flowbacks, 9 well unloadings, and 4 workovers). For well completion flowbacks, which clear fractured wells of liquid to allow gas production, methane emissions ranged from 0.01 Mg to 17 Mg (mean = 1.7 Mg; 95% confidence bounds of 0.67-3.3 Mg), compared with an average of 81 Mg per event in the 2011 EPA national emission inventory from April 2013. Emission factors for pneumatic pumps and controllers as well as equipment leaks were both comparable to and higher than estimates in the national inventory. Overall, if emission factors from this work for completion flowbacks, equipment leaks, and pneumatic pumps and controllers are assumed to be representative of national populations and are used to estimate national emissions, total annual emissions from these source categories are calculated to be 957 Gg of methane (with sampling and measurement uncertainties estimated at ±200 Gg). The estimate for comparable source categories in the EPA national inventory is ~1,200 Gg. Additional measurements of unloadings and workovers are needed to produce national emission estimates for these source categories. The 957 Gg in emissions for completion flowbacks, pneumatics, and equipment leaks, coupled with EPA national inventory estimates for other categories, leads to an estimated 2,300 Gg of methane emissions from natural gas production (0.42% of gross gas production) [pnas.org]

» December 09 2014 - Natural Gas, Shale, Fracking,U.S., Nature Article. Natural gas: The fracking fallacy. When US President Barack Obama talks about the future, he foresees a thriving US economy fuelled to a large degree by vast amounts of natural gas pouring from domestic wells. [...] Obama's statement reflects an optimism that has permeated the United States. It is all thanks to fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - which has made it possible to coax natural gas at a relatively low price out of the fine-grained rock known as shale. Around the country, terms such as 'shale revolution' and 'energy abundance' echo through corporate boardrooms. Companies are betting big on forecasts of cheap, plentiful natural gas. Over the next 20 years, US industry and electricity producers are expected to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in new plants that rely on natural gas. And billions more dollars are pouring into the construction of export facilities that will enable the United States to ship liquefied natural gas to Europe, Asia and South America. All of those investments are based on the expectation that US gas production will climb for decades, in line with the official forecasts by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). As agency director Adam Sieminski put it last year: "For natural gas, the EIA has no doubt at all that production can continue to grow all the way out to 2040." But a careful examination of the assumptions behind such bullish forecasts suggests that they may be overly optimistic, in part because the government's predictions rely on coarse-grained studies of major shale formations, or plays. Now, researchers are analysing those formations in much greater detail and are issuing more-conservative forecasts. They calculate that such formations have relatively small 'sweet spots' where it will be profitable to extract gas [nature.com]

» December 09 2014 - Climate Change, Politics and Economics, Germanwatch Climate Change Performance Index. The Climate Change Performance Index is an instrument supposed to enhance transparency in international climate politics. Its aim is to encourage political and social pressure on those countries which have, up to now, failed to take ambitious actions on climate protection as well as to highlight countries with best-practice climate policies. On the basis of standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 58 countries that are, together, responsible for more than 90 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. 80 percent of the evaluation is based on objective indicators of emissions trend and emissions level. 20 percent of the index results are built upon national and international climate policy assessments by more than 200 experts from the respective countries [germanwatch.org]

» December 09 2014 - Climate Change, COP 20, Lima Negotiations. After a week of preliminaries, climate change negotiations at COP 20 in Lima, Peru, have reached their mid-point and are moving into high gear. This week will be crucial as talks continue on a draft international climate agreement due to be concluded in Paris at the end of 2015. Here are three issues to watch as the climate meeting heads toward the finish line: To Assess or Not to Assess? [...] $100 billion in Dedicated Climate Finance by 2020? [...] What About Adaptation? [wri.org]

» December 09 2014 - Oil, Opec, Producers Fiscal Break-Even. One of the key drivers of the oil markets is the price at which principal OPEC producers balance their government accounts – better known as fiscal break-even oil prices. By monitoring the fluctuations of these break-even prices in major oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE, we can assess potential changes in OPEC's desired level of global oil prices [ogfj.com]

» December 08 2014 - Energy Markets, Global Directional Drilling, Economics, MarketsAndMarkets Outlook. The global directional drilling market size is estimated to reach $29.11 billion by 2019. North America and Asia-pacific are the two major markets, contributing to more than 50% of the global market size. Major factors responsible for the growth of the directional drilling market include technological advancements, increasing energy demand, rising offshore drilling activities, and the upcoming shale gas revolution. The key concerns in the industry pertain to the fluctuating oil and gas price, decline in natural gas price in North America, and political as well as economic uncertainty in regions like Europe and Africa [marketsandmarkets.com]

» December 08 2014 - Energy Security, EU, Energy Markets, Geopolitics, Paper. Energy security remains a vital issue for the European Union (EU), even more so in the wake of the events that unfolded in early 2014 in Ukraine. The EU's already fragile position in the international energy arena in terms of supply security appears to be more uncertain than ever after umpteenth fall out with its historic energy supplier, Russia. This situation is untenable and calls for swift and decisive action to adequately tackle the issue once and for all. The chapter looks at the creation of a single EU energy market through integration of energy networks in the EU. The chapter then examines various ways to diversify its energy supply, whether through increasing the import of liquefied natural gas or through its relations with the Eurasian Union. The chapter concludes that from energy transit, to technology transfer, to investment protection, energy and trade present interplays across various fields. Improvements can be made to the EU trading system to ensure greater energy security and more efficient energy markets [Queen Mary School of Law Legal Studies Research]

» December 07 2014 - Oil and Gas, Oil Prices, Saudi Arabia, Geopolitics. Saudis Won't Relent in Oil Market Tussle. If anyone needed further convincing that Saudi Arabia means business in tumultuous oil markets, national oil company Saudi Aramco's latest move should bury doubts once and for all. Making a trading call this week, Aramco cut the January official selling price (OSP) of its Arab Light Crude grade for Asian importers by $1.90 per barrel from December. The new price level is at a whopping $2 per barrel discount to the regional Dubai Oman Crude's trading price average. The January OSP for exports to the US, while not officially set at a discount, it is still $0.70 per barrel below the current price [forbes.com]

» December 07 2014 - Oil and Gas, Russia, India, Geopolitics. India and Russia are set to bring out a blueprint for energy cooperation in the form of a vision document during President Vladimir Putin's December visit as Moscow looks to expand its ties beyond west as well as China. [...] Two pacts which enable the state-run ONGC Videsh Limited to get stakes in Vankor and Yurubcheno-Tokhomskoye oil fields in Siberia are likely to be signed [...] Getting a stake in the Vankor field is strategically significantly as it is aimed at feeding greater Chinese energy demands [...] Russian oil firm Gazprom is negotiating for as much as 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from West Siberia to China for a period of 30 years. China and Russia had also inked a $400 billion energy deal in May. ONGC-Videsh Limited has substantial investment totalling over $5 billion in two major oil and gas projects - Sakhlin-1 and Imperial Energy Limited (Tomsk). Sources said the blue print includes India and Russia firming up their cooperation in the Arctic offshore. In the face of sanctions from the European Union, Russia is stepping up its energy ties with China [hindustantimes.com]

» December 07 2014 - Oil Production, Peak Oil, U.S., OPEC, non-OPEC. Did Peak Oil Arrive in 2014? (by Ron Patterson). The recent price crash in crude oil, if it lasts for any length of time, will certainly affect oil production. The question is, just how great an effect will it have an how soon? But in this post I want to concentrate on what is, or was, happening to world oil production even before the price crash. Russia, the largest producer of crude oil in the world, will peak in 2014. There are various estimates of how fast their production will decline but best case, for Russia, puts their decline at about 2% per year. They say they are depending on the Bazhenov Shale and Arctic offshore just to keep production flat in 2015. Well that is not going to happen, not in the next few years anyway. And if prices stay in the current range it is unlikely to ever happen. OPEC is a wild card but there is little doubt that they are producing flat out right now. Only Iran has any real any real chance of increasing production very much and that only if sanctions are lifted. Libya has already increased production significantly and could increase more but very little. With the violence still going on in Libya, there is a greater chance that their production will decline. But before we go any further let's look at what the EIA is predicting for 2015 for both the USA and the rest of non-OPEC? [peakoilbarrel.com]

» December 05 2014 - Oil Prices, Financial Stability. Could falling oil prices spark a financial crisis? To what extent are financial investors exposed to the oil sector? And what will happen on the financial markets if oil stocks and oil companies go under on a large scale? We are far from a crisis yet, [but] falling oil prices are not just a problem for oil companies. The oil and gas boom in the United States was made possible by the extensive credit afforded to drillers. Not only has financing come from company shareholders and traditional banks, but hundreds of billions of dollars have also come from junk-bond investors looking for high returns. Junk-bond debt in energy has reached $210 billion, which is about 16 percent of the $1.3 trillion junk-bond market. That is a dramatic rise from just 4 percent that energy debt represented 10 years ago. As is the nature of the junk-bond market, lots of money flowed to companies with much riskier drilling prospects than, say, the oil majors. Maybe drillers were venturing into an uncertain shale play; maybe they didn't have a lot of cash on hand or were a small startup. Whatever the case may be, there is a reason that they couldn't offer "investment grade" bonds. In order to tap the bond market, these companies had to pay a hefty interest rate [energypost.eu]

» December 05 2014 - Proved Oil and Gas Reserves, U.S. US proved reserves of oil and natural gas have increased by 9% and 10%, respectively, according a recent report from the US Energy Information Administration. The 3.1-billion bbl increase in proved oil reserves in 2013 marks the fifth consecutive jump, EIA said. Proved oil reserves reached 36.5 billion bbl in 2013, up from 33.4 billion bbl in EIA's report in 2012. North Dakota added almost 2 billion bbl of oil in 2013, a 51% increase from 2012. Owing to further development of the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston basin, North Dakota's reserves surpassed those of the federal offshore Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 2013. Texas maintains its position of having the largest oil reserves, yet the state added 903 million bbl of proved oil reserves in the same period [ogj.com]

» December 05 2014 - Climate Change, Global Warming, WMO data. The year 2014 is on track to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, on record, according to preliminary estimates by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This is largely due to record high global sea surface temperatures, which will very likely remain above normal until the end of the year. High sea temperatures, together with other factors, contributed to exceptionally heavy rainfall and floods in many countries and extreme drought in others. WMO's provisional statement on the Status of the Global Climate in 2014 indicated that the global average air temperature over land and sea surface for January to October was about 0.57° Centigrade (1.03 Fahrenheit) above the average of 14.00°C (57.2 °F) for the 1961-1990 reference period, and 0.09°C (0.16 °F) above the average for the past ten years (2004-2013). If November and December maintain the same tendency, then 2014 will likely be the hottest on record, ahead of 2010, 2005 and 1998. This confirms the underlying long-term warming trend. It is important to note that differences in the rankings of the warmest years are a matter of only a few hundredths of a degree, and that different data sets show slightly different rankings. The high January to October temperatures occurred in the absence of a full El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). ENSO occurs when warmer than average sea-surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific combine, in a self-reinforcing loop, with atmospheric pressure systems, thus affecting weather patterns globally. During the year, sea surface temperatures increased nearly to El Nino thresholds but this was not coupled with an atmospheric response. However, many weather and climate patterns normally associated with El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were observed in many parts of the world. "The provisional information for 2014 means that fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. "There is no standstill in global warming," he said. "What we saw in 2014 is consistent with what we expect from a changing climate. Record-breaking heat combined with torrential rainfall and floods destroyed livelihoods and ruined lives. What is particularly unusual and alarming this year are the high temperatures of vast areas of the ocean surface, including in the northern hemisphere," [wmo.int]

» December 05 2014 - Coal and Petroleum Companies, Investments, Climate change, Norway, Government Pension Fund. Report from the expert group on investments in coal and petroleum companies. An expert group appointed by the Ministry of Finance presents its report on the Government Pension Fund Global. The expert group has evaluated whether the exclusion of coal and petroleum companies is a more effective strategy for addressing climate issues than the exercise of ownership and exertion of influence [regjeringen.no]

» December 05 2014 - Oil, Stranded Assets, Unburnable Carbon, Bank of England. The Bank of England has set a new standard for all central banks and financial regulators on climate risks by agreeing to examine, for the first time, the vulnerability that fossil fuel assets could pose to the stability of the financial system in a carbon constrained world [...] With a letter dated 30th October 2014, the Governor has formally informed the Environmental Audit Committee of the UK Parliament of the Bank's decision to widen and deepen the enquiry into "unburnable carbon" - those fossil fuel assets that will need to remain unexploited if climate change is to be kept to the internationally agreed 2 C level of warming. As part of the enquiry, the Financial Policy Committee will investigate the potential risks fossil fuel assets pose to financial stability. This is the first major acknowledgement from a financial regulator that most of the world's listed coal, oil and gas reserves could become "stranded assets" and have significant financial consequences [carbontracker.org]

» December 04 2014 - Gas, Unconventional Gas, Geopolitics, Belfer Center Reports. The plunging price of fossil fuels this fall is a fresh reminder of the iron law of supply and demand. But what's driving the glut? And what does this year's epic, $400-billion deal between Russia and China tells us about long-term demand for gas? Two new Belfer Center reports examine these questions: "Unconventional Gas: Lessons Learned from Around the World", "The Sino-Russian Gas Partnership: Explaining the 2014 Breakthrough" [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu]

» December 04 2014 - Energy Policies, EU, IEA Report. The European Union has made progress in liberalising energy markets, and its global leadership on climate change is to be commended, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said today as it released its review of EU energy policies. However, the new IEA report said there remains much room for improvement. It noted that much of the integration of Europe's energy market has been confined to northern and western parts of Europe, and that until important interconnections are built across the entire bloc, the EU will not have a truly integrated, single energy network - the basis for an "Energy Union". Moreover, despite reforms at the wholesale level, markets are increasingly distorted by the persistence of regulated prices and rising green surcharges and levies. In the report, Energy Policies of IEA Countries: European Union - 2014, the IEA praised the EU for reducing its carbon intensity and taking the lead in vehicle fuel economy standards. Thanks to the implementation of 20-20-20 targets, lower energy intensity and an unprecedented boom in renewable energies can be witnessed. EU leaders agreed in October 2014 to ambitious climate and energy targets for 2030. Now, the legal framework must be put in place, with market rules for a low-carbon system. The transition to such a low-carbon system remains challenging, as electricity and transport sectors rely heavily on fossil fuels. This requires the swift reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and support to investment in low-carbon technologies [...] EU electricity systems and markets need to accommodate growing shares of variable renewable energy. At the same time, the EU faces the retirement of half its nuclear generating capacity in the next ten years. Decisions need to be made about uprates, upgrades and lifetime extensions. Energy security must be placed at the centre of the Energy Union. In order to reduce dependency on one single supplier, the EU must further diversify gas and oil supplies, and cannot afford to reduce its energy options: nuclear, coal and unconventional gas and oil will need to be part of the mix [iea.org]

» December 04 2014 - Climate Change, Environmental Stress, Oceanic Conditions, Nature Climate Change Article. Climate change is altering oceanic conditions in a complex manner, and the concurrent amendment of multiple properties will modify environmental stress for primary producers. So far, global modelling studies have focused largely on how alteration of individual properties will affect marine life. Here, we use global modelling simulations in conjunction with rotated factor analysis to express model projections in terms of regional trends in concomitant changes to biologically influential multi-stressors. Factor analysis demonstrates that regionally distinct patterns of complex oceanic change are evident globally. Preliminary regional assessments using published evidence of phytoplankton responses to complex change reveal a wide range of future responses to interactive multi-stressors with 20–300% shifts in phytoplankton physiological rates, and many unexplored potential interactions. In a future ocean, provinces will encounter different permutations of change that will probably alter the dominance of key phytoplankton groups and modify regional productivity, ecosystem structure and biogeochemistry. Consideration of regionally distinct multi-stressor patterns can help guide laboratory and field studies as well as the interpretation of interactive multi-stressors in global models [nature.com]

» December 03 2014 - Onshore Wind, Trasportation, Report. A taxing proposition: onshore wind to be 6 times cheaper than oil for transportation by 2035. A study by investment bank Kepler Chevreux calculates that $100bn invested in onshore wind to power electric vehicles, would actually produce more energy per dollar invested than $100bn invested in oil to power gasoline vehicles [windenergyupdate.com]

» December 03 2014 - Climate Investment, Country-by-Coutry BNEF Report. The CSIS Energy and National Security Program, presentation of the recently released Climatescope 2014. The Climatescope is a unique country-by-country assessment, interactive report and index that evaluates the investment climate for climate-related investment worldwide. It profiles 55 countries and evaluates their ability to attract capital for low-carbon energy sources while building a greener economy. The Climatescope is a snapshot of where clean energy policy and finance stand today and a guide to where clean energy can go [csis.org]

» December 03 2014 - Gas, South Stream, Russia, Turkey, Geopolitics. Russia has decided against the construction of the 930-km South Stream natural gas pipeline across the Black Sea from Russia to Bulgaria, citing delays on the part of the European Union in taking the steps necessary to move forward. Press reports have OAO Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller as confirming the decision originally announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Miller and Mehmet Konuk, chairman of Botas Petroleum Pipeline Corp., signed a memorandum of understanding Dec. 1 on instead building an offshore gas pipeline from the Russkaya compressor station (also South Stream's starting point) under construction in the Krasnodar Territory across the Black Sea to Turkey. Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan witnessed the signing. Turkey in July had approved South Stream's environmental impact assessment, including pipelay for the 63-billion cu m (bcm)/year project's four parallel strings in its exclusive economic zone starting first-quarter 2015 [...] The new pipeline would have the same 63 bcm/year overall capacity, with 14 bcm/year to be used in Turkey and the balance shipped to a border crossing with Greece, the location of which has yet to be decided. The 448-Mw Russkaya station will provide as much as 28.45 MPa of pressure, enough to have shipped gas on South Stream to Bulgaria without intermediate compression [ogj.com]

» December 02 2014 - Energy Policy, Renewable Energy, China, Irena Report. China's energy policy matters globally. The country is the world's largest energy user, accounting for one fifth of all global energy consumption. By 2030, China's energy consumption is expected to increase by 60%. China's energy choices will be a major influence on the world's ability to curb climate change. There are rising concerns over energy security. As of 2014, about 30% of China's natural gas supply is imported, but this could increase substantially. China imports more than half of its crude oil supply, and this will also increase. Shale gas was considered as an alternative, but local exploration proved challenging. Until recently, China has been meeting most of its energy demand with coal. However, growing concerns over the environmental impacts of coal (severe air pollution that caused 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010, high water consumption compounding water scarcity) have prompted a shift in policy. As a result, China is turning to renewable energy. It already has the world's largest installed capacity of wind and hydroelectric power, as well as the vast majority of solar heating and biogas installations. In 2013 China installed more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity than the whole of Europe. This strategy is bringing substantial economic returns. China has become a major exporter of renewable energy technology, accounting for two-thirds of global solar PV module production. Its renewable energy sector employed 2.6 million people in 2013. And it has the financial ability to invest further [irena.org]

» December 02 2014 - Gas, South Stream, Russia, EU. In the current condutions, Russia cannot begin the implementation of the South Stream project, Russian President Vladimir Putin said [...] Russia-EU dispute over Third Energy Package. In the autumn of 2013, the European Commission launched an anti-monopoly investigation into the South Stream project on suspicion that it disagrees with the rules of the EU's Third Energy Package under which companies are supposed to separate generation and sales operations from transmission networks. Last year, the European Commission urged to review bilateral intergovernmental agreements between Russia and EU countries to ensure that they comply with the Third Energy Package, which requires the separation of gas production, transportation and sale to prevent gas suppliers from dominating the infrastructure [en.itar-tass.com]

» December 02 2014 - Oil and Gas, Shale, Fracking, U.S.. Hillary Clinton has offered mild criticism of the fracking boom that has spread across the US under Barack Obama's presidency, drawing another small distinction with his administration. Clinton, who has yet to declare she is seeking the presidency, kept the bulk of her speech to a League of Conservation Voters dinner in New York resolutely vanilla. But she did express concerns about the environmental costs associated with natural gas and went so far as to suggest there may be places where it was too dangerous to drill at all. "I know many of us have serious concerns with the risks associated with the rapidly expanding production of natural gas," Clinton told the crowd on Monday night. "Methane leaks in the production and transportation of natural gas pose a particularly troubling threat so it is crucial we put in place smart regulations and enforce them – including deciding not to drill when the risks to local communities, landscapes and ecosystems are just too high." [theguardian.com]

» December 02 2014 - Hydro Power, China, India. China has announced that it has completed a major hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra, called Yarlung Zangbo, in Tibet. The dam is bound to enhance fears in India and Bangladesh about flash floods and related risks like landslides involving lives of millions of people downstream [...] Announcing that Tibet's largest hydropower station had become partly operational on Sunday, Beijing said it would be useful in "harnessing the rich water resources of the Yarlung Zangbo river to empower the development of the electricity-strapped region". The first section of the $1.5 billion Zangmu Hydropower Station, which is over 3,300m above sea level on the "roof of the world", went into operation Sunday afternoon. Five other sections are due for completion no later than next year, it said [...] Zangmu is one of the five projects planned on the Brahmaputra to generate a total of 2,000MW of hydro power. Environmentalists opposed to the project have asked why China wants to unsettle fragile ecology in the Tibetan region which is little need for additional electricity because of low industrialization [timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

» December 01 2014 - Oil and Gas, Offshore, Cyprus. Delek Drilling says a review has raised estimated natural gas and condensate resources in the deepwater Aphrodite reservoir offshore Cyprus. The best estimate has risen by 12% from 4.05 tcf (110 bcm) and 8.1 MMbbl of condensate previously to 4.54 tcf (130 bcm) and 9 MMbbl of condensate. The main factors were an increase in the estimate of the reservoir’s Gross Rock Volume and of gas saturation values, based on an updated analysis of a seismic survey and logs from three wells in the reservoir [offshore-mag.com]

» December 01 2014 - Climate Policy, European Parliament, COP-20, OKO-Institute Report. As a preparation for the upcoming COP in Lima, Oko-Institute has prepared a study for the European Parliament on the developments in the climate negotiations over the last year. It summarises the key achievements as well as points of conflict in the ADP negotiations towards a new agreement and on other important topics in the negotiations. The study also includes an overview of the positions of main Parties, negotiating groups and other stakeholders. This report provides an overview of the development of the negotiations within the UNFCCC since COP 19 in Warsaw. It summarises the key developments in 2014 and provides short overviews for all negotiation areas. The overview also includes a state of play of the Doha Climate Gateway and explains the position of the main Parties and negotiation groups. It is supplemented by short overviews for individual countries and stakeholder groups [europarl.europa.eu]

» December 01 2014 - Oil Prices, OPEC strategy, Iran, Geopolitics. The "shock therapy" of a steep drop in crude prices, which have fallen to a five-year low, is no solution for OPEC's loss of market share to U.S. shale producers, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude declined 10 percent after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided on Nov. 27 to keep its production target unchanged at 30 million barrels a day. Prices at this lower level are no guarantee of a significant reduction in U.S. shale output [...] "High prices are a disadvantage to OPEC's market share," he said. "If you want to increase your share, you have to reduce prices, but you can’t do it through 'shock therapy' over the course of three months if you want to change everything." OPEC, which supplies about 40 percent of the world's oil, resisted calls from members including Venezuela, Iran and Iraq to reduce its collective output to stem falling prices. U.S. production, driven by a boom in fracking for shale oil, has risen to the highest level in three decades, adding to a global surplus that Venezuela estimated last week at 2 million barrels a day. Demand for OPEC's crude will shrink as U.S. supply expands, eroding the group's share of the global market to the smallest in more than 25 years, its own forecasts showed [bloomberg.com]

» December 01 2014 - Climate Change, Global Warming, Australia. Australia had hottest spring and second hottest November on record. Bureau of Meteorology says spring 2014's average temperature of 24C exceeded the mean by 1.5C, 'the largest seasonal departure we've ever had' [theguardian.com]

» December 01 2014 - Climate Finance, Green Climate Fund. How the Green Climate Fund is being capitalized. Governments have pledged up to $9.3 billion to combatting climate change in developing countries. The pledges were made at a conference organized by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Berlin [...], following pledges by Japan and the United States at the G20 summit. The US is set to become the largest contributor with a commitment of $3 billion to capitalize the GCF on the condition that its contribution does not exceed 30% of total pledges. Japan has pledged $1.5 billion, exceeding earlier pledges by the United Kingdom, France and Germany of about $1 billion each. 21 countries have currently pledged funding, including four countries classified as developing nations by the United Nations. The four developing countries are Panama ($1 million), Poland (unspecified), Mongolia ($312,000) and South Korea ($100 million) [...] Yet the GCF has not been operational before earlier this year. Until 2012, "fast-start finance" was been administered by approx. 40 different funds set up by donor governments, making it difficult for many developing countries to access funds due to a lack of resources to apply. In an assessment of "fast-start finance," Oxfam noted that only 43% has been given as grants with the rest being provided as loans. Oxfam also estimated that merely 33% of funds were new money, while the majority were reallocations of money from existing aid budgets. "Fast-start finance" expired at the end of 2012, resulting in a rapid drying up of funds. In one example, World Bank funding for climate projects declined from approx. $5 billion in 2012 to approx. $1.6 billion in 2013 [climatedev.com]

» November 29 2014 - Oil Prices, Opec Production Level, UK Economy, Geopolitics. Crude facts: why the plunging price of oil is not all good news. The price of oil fell for the second day in a row on Friday, wiping billions off the values of oil companies and putting huge investments at risk after Thursday's decision by Opec to maintain the cartel's existing production levels. The cost of the benchmark Brent blend slumped below $72 a barrel before rallying slightly but some industry experts – including the chief executive of Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer – have predicted that crude values will keep on going down, possibly as low as $60. If this were to happen it would mean that the price of oil had dived by nearly 50% in less than six months. If the price stayed at that level for any amount of time it would radically change the landscape for producers and consumers alike in the UKb. Here are five potential consequences. [...] Petrol and diesel prices Scotland's [...] Oil economy and Treasury tax receipts [...] Inflation [...] Alternative energy [...] Fracking [theguardian.com]

» November 29 2014 - Climate Policy, UN Climate Change Conference - COP 20 in Lima, EU. Text adopted by the European Parliament, resolution of 26 November 2014 on the 2014 UN Climate Change Conference – COP 20 in Lima, Peru (1-12 December 2014) [...] 1. Recognises the extraordinary scale and seriousness of the threats induced by climate change and expresses profound concern about the continued weakness of the international response to the challenge it poses; is extremely concerned that the world is severely off track with regard to limiting global warming to an increase of below 2°C and calls on governments to take, without delay, concrete measures against climate change and towards a global agreement in Paris 2015 to deliver this target; 2. Notes that, in line with the IPCC AR5 findings, the global carbon budget available after 2011, if there is to be a likely chance of keeping the rise in global average temperature below 2°C, is 1010 Gton of CO2; emphasises that all countries need to contribute and that delaying action will increase costs and reduce options; 3. Notes with concern the latest scientific findings of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which show that CO2 emissions are set to reach a new 40 billion tonne (per year) record high in 2014 and that total future CO2 emissions cannot exceed 1200 billion tonnes if there is to be a likely 66% chance of keeping average global warming under 2°C; 4. Stresses that the 2015 agreement needs to meet the goal of reducing global emissions to a level compatible with the 2°C carbon budget, and should aim at phasing out global carbon emissions by 2050; 5. Recalls that the UNFCCC process will consider strengthening the long-term goal in relation to temperature rises to 1,5 °C; 6. Underlines the findings of the New Climate Economy report 'Better Growth, Better Climate' that countries of all income levels have the opportunity to build lasting economic growth at the same time as reducing the immense risks of climate change; 7. Expects the new Commission to assume a proactive role in addressing the global climate crisis, including in terms of additional climate financing; calls on the Commission to make it clear that the climate challenge is one of its top strategic priorities and to organise itself in a way which reflects this, at all levels and across all sectors in domestic and external policies and actions, inter alia by investing in sustainable agriculture, in line with the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and in sustainable transport; 8. Emphasises that global climate change policies are based on the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and that they are an integral part of the global efforts to promote sustainable development all over the world; stresses that the climate change policies must be seen in this wider context and linked with the follow-up on the Rio Conference, the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 agenda [europarl.europa.eu]

» November 29 2014 - Oil, Opec, Saudi Arabia, U.S., Western Powers, Russia. Saudi Arabia did it. After stonewalling for weeks, all attention is on the House of Saud and its refusal to let OPEC cut production, even by a modest 2 million barrels a day. The immediate impact of this decision was felt with WTI falling to $65.99, its lowest point in over four years, while Brent settled at $70.07 after a near $7.67 drop. That Saudi Arabia thought this to be "a great decision" shows the defiance of the former top global oil producer when confronted with a new energy world order. The news also handed out a battering to oil stocks, with Premier Oil falling by 7%, with Statoil, Total and Shell all down around 4%. Despite this immediate impact, Western powers quickly moved to dispel concern about the impact of this decision on their economies. [...] Much has also been made of the fact that low oil prices will also help the gas-guzzling U.S. economy at the pump, while also trickling down to help consumers in Europe and Asia. MarketWatch is clearly loving this situation, crowing that those who will suffer are hardly U.S. allies. It estimates that with production ever fluctuating, Libya needs prices at $185 a barrel to balance its budget, while Iran needs $133, and Russia needs $100. "The rogue states' cash flow can't handle it. OPEC's low-cost producers are Western-friendly powers like Kuwait." Its economic analysis continues with the fact that U.S. shale-oil production is expanding by the capacity of Libya every year, and that American production would still be boosted at $60 a barrel, albeit in a limited fashion [oilprice.com]

» November 28 2014 - Nuclear Power, Nonproliferation, Japan, Csis-Hitotsubashi University Report. Japan's Nuclear Fuel Cycle Futures, Evaluating the Nonproliferation Impact of Japan's Nuclear Fuel Cycle Decisions, published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Hitotsubashi University [...] Six American and six Japanese experts reviewed the status of Japan's nuclear program, challenges and opportunities regarding its spent fuel management, perceptions of Japan's nonproliferation credibility, and options for moving forward. A few salient themes emerged: 1.Japan's fuel cycle plans for decades assumed nuclear energy would continue to flourish in Japan. Today, Japan needs to explore tools and measures to consume current excess plutonium and decide on the future of recycling of plutonium. 2.The need for flexibility in planning Japan's nuclear energy future is both pragmatic and understandable but emphasizing flexibility could be interpreted as unwillingness to deviate from established pathways despite drastically changed circumstances [csis.org]

» November 28 2014 - Gas, Russia, China, Western Route Pipeline Corridor, Geopolitics. A Nov. 9 framework agreement for another large gas-supply deal between OAO Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corp. remains far from concluded but "reinforces the notion of a growing relationship between energy-hungry China and energy-export-dependent Russia," according to analysts at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Washington, DC. Unlike the Gazprom-CNPC agreement signed in May, the new memorandum of understanding is based on the long-planned and geopolitically significant "western route," [...] Signing of the MOU followed a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China during a summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders in Beijing. The western route is based on a 2,600-km pipeline that would carry gas from a compressor station south of Novy Urengoi in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug along an existing pipeline corridor and across Russia's Republic of Altai to the Chinese border. Under the new MOU, Gazprom would supply 30 billion cu m/year of West Siberian gas to northwest China for 30 years, starting in 2019. The earlier agreement, still under negotiation, is for 38 billion cu m/year of East Siberian gas for 30 years starting after 2018 [ogj.com]

» November 28 2014 - Renewable energy, PV, China. A 20MW rooftop solar project has been completed at Asia Pulp & Paper Group's (APP) Gold HongYe Mill in Suzou, China, creating one of the world's largest rooftop solar installations. The panels cover approximately 300,000 square meters – the equivalent of 42 football pitches. The installation consists of ten thousand panels installed across the 12 production buildings, warehouses and administrative buildings of the mill. It is anticipated that the solar project will produce approximately 20 million KWh – enough to power 6,000 homes in the local area [asiapulppaper.com]

» November 28 2014 - Energy Security, EU, Russia, U.S. LNG Exports, Gas Southern Corridor, South Stream. In the new energy security war, Europe has the upper hand over Russia, say top US officials. Concerns about energy security have shot to the top of the political agenda in Europe. But the US has no intention of letting the EU down. "The United States will be working with the EU to develop a plan for the mid- to long-term evolution of a more energy-secure future", said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz at a conference of the Atlantic Council in Istanbul. At this summit, top US officials and energy experts showed themselves surprisingly positive about the progress the EU has made reducing its dependence on Russia. "A few years ago, we couldn't have solved the Ukrainian problem. Now we can." With US LNG exports under way, the "monumental" Southern Corridor under construction, and Gazprom's South Stream project increasingly under pressure, Europe's position will only get stronger [energypost.eu]

» November 28 2014 - Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources, Smart Grid, Smart Cities, Japan. Japan, the 6th International Conference on the Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources. [...] Industry, government and academia created the conference to develop and deploy technologies for grid connection of renewable energy and distributed energy sources, smart communities and smart grids. Discussions covered standards, modeling and simulation, end-user energy management systems and lessons learned from large project demonstrations [...] the Sharp Sakai factory, the largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility in Japan. The automation and product innovation at the facility were impressive [...] Sumitomo Electric's redox flow battery system, micro smart-grid demonstration system and concentrator photovoltaic technology. Sumitomo is a manufacturer of products used for power transmission, distribution and storage. [...] Hitachi and a site visit to Kashiwa-No-Ha Smart City, A New Vision for the Cities of Tomorrow. The city is a public-private-academic partnership to create support for new industries as well as the health and longevity of its citizens. They have focused on a system that uses photovoltaics, storage battery facilities, wind power generation and a gas-powered generator (for emergency use) to optimize energy use while reducing environmental impact. The city also provides business and continuity plans for emergency support in the event of a power outage [breakingenergy.com]

» November 28 2014 - Fossil Fuel, Energy Policy, U.S.. Fossil-fueled Republicanism: what to expect from the new US Congress. While more and more people around the world are coming to recognize the need for restraints on fossil fuel consumption, the new Republican-dominated Congress will lead the United States in the opposite direction, writes Michael Klare, author of many books and articles on energy policy. Klare outlines the energy policies the Republicans in Congress are likely to pursue and explains what is behind their fervent commitment to oil and gas. In an introduction to Klare’s essay, author and editor Tom Engelhardt notes a silver lining to the climate cloud: he believes the 2016 presidential elections may usher in a “tectonic transformation” in US energy policy [energypost.eu]

» November 28 2014 - Low carbon technologies, GHG emission reductions, Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), Japan, Viet Nam. Call for public inputs on a JCM proposed methodology (Viet Nam) "Waste heat recovery for electricity generation": The proposed methodology was submitted to the secretariat of the the Joint Committee for the JCM between Viet Nam and Japan on 18 November 2014. The secretariat conducted the completeness check on the submission and the submission was deemed complete. The secretariat makes the proposed methodology publicly available for public inputs in line with subsection 1.4.3. of the Joint Crediting Mechanism Project Cycle Procedure [jcm.go.jp]

» November 28 2014 - Oil Prices. Opec, Shale Industry, U.S.. OPEC policy on crude production will ensure a crash in the U.S. shale industry, a Russian oil tycoon said. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries kept output targets unchanged at a meeting in Vienna [...] even after this year's slump in the oil price caused by surging supply from U.S shale fields. American producers risk becoming victims of their own success. At today's prices of just over $70 a barrel, drilling is close to becoming unprofitable for some explorers, Leonid Fedun, vice president and board member at OAO Lukoil (LKOD), said in an interview in London [bloomberg.com]

» November 27 2014 - Renewable Energy, Energy Market, Latin America, IDB Working Paper. Study on the Development of the Renewable Energy Market in Latin America and the Caribbean. The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is already a global low-carbon leader in terms of power generation from hydrological and biomass resources, and it recently has made great strides in developing its other renewable energy sources. Declining costs, maturing technologies, and vast untapped potentials for renewables offer an unprecedented opportunity for further development of the renewable energy market in the region. Continuing to invest in renewables will provide Latin America and the Caribbean with the opportunity to address key economic, social, and environmental challenges in the energy sector. Renewables are increasingly the most economic option for new generation capacity, especially for countries that depend on fuel oil for power generation, such as many in Central America and the Caribbean. Resource advantages give the region the potential to match or even undercut the lowest costs achieved in other parts of the world. Low-cost financing and the scaling up of local industries are important keys to realizing that potential [worldwatch.org]

» November 27 2014 - Energy Policy, Climate Change, Unburnable Carbon, Stranded Assets, Carbon Bubble, COP-20 Side-Event. Unburnable carbon in the context of the future energy system. The concepts of 'unburnable carbon', 'stranded assets' and a 'carbon bubble' have been promoted by a number of groups, gaining the attention of investors, academics and the media. This session on unburnable carbon will explore some of the arguments and assumptions involved in these concepts and put them into a wider perspective of the future energy system, and the role of mitigation technologies such as CCS, recognizing the importance that oil and gas bring to modern living standards and economic growth. Saturday, December 6, 2014 - 11:45 - 13:30, IETA Pavilion, Lima, Peru [ipieca.org]

» November 26 2014 - Gas, Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP), EU, Greece, Albania. Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has issued its next Invitations to Tender (ITT) for compressor stations in Greece and Albania. TAP is issuing two separate ITTs - one for Greece and one for Albania. In Greece, the ITT will cover the provision of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of one compressor station at Kipoi. In Albania, the ITT is for the provision of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of one compressor station at Fier, and one metering station at Billisht. The metering station is designed to measure natural gas coming from the Greek section of TAP. Design and specification for the compressor stations is in line with TAP's initial capacity of 10bcm per annum - gas transported from Shah Deniz II to Europe - with a possibility to expand that capacity up to 20bcm per annum [tap-ag.com]

» November 26 2014 - Oil and Gas, Shale, Financial Returns, Oil Prices, U.S.. Conventional oil and gas projects have traditionally followed a pattern of exploration, large up-front capital investment, and staged asset development in pursuit of long-term financial returns. It has historically been less expensive to drill in new production than to increase the efficiency of underperforming assets. The world, however, has changed. The number and size of new discoveries worldwide has been declining steadily since the 1960s. Combined with a growing focus on short-term profitability, investors are forcing the upstream industry to demonstrate increasingly rapid production, with immediate positive cash flow, from more expensive and technically challenging resource plays. This article considers the ramifications of that investment climate on the US unconventional oil and gas market. Independent US producers will spend $1.50 for every dollar earned from shale operations in 2014. Forbes notes that many shale plays are "balanced on the knife-edge of profitability," and extremely sensitive to downward trends in oil prices. In addition, the US Bureau of Economic Geology cautions that many shale investments are being buoyed by liquid-rich production that is effectively (and unsustainably) subsidizing shale gas. Although some recent evidence points to an increasing profitability trend, it relies on increasing economies of scale (volumes), which in turn demands increasing capital investment. Operational efficiency is offered as a solution to this problem. [ogfj.com]

» November 26 2014 - Coal, Climate Change, China. [...] China's recent decree that the country will never consume more than 4.2 billion metric tons of coal per year, the action following a historic agreement with the U.S. to begin to combat climate change. Already, caps on the amount of coal a given locality can burn seem to have dropped coal's share of total energy in China for the first time in the 21st century, though overall it has tripled since 2000. "The vast majority of China's CO2 emissions are a result of coal combustion," said Jake Schmidt, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's international program at the CEF event. If the central government's cap is achieved, then China's carbon dioxide emissions would never top 12 billion metric tons per year or so-up from roughly 10 billion metric tons per year as of now. Already, China's coal burning alone accounts for 20 percent of the entire world's CO2 pollution [...] To achieve such a halt in coal consumption, China will have to build as much wind, solar, nuclear and hydropower in the next 10 years as it has built coal-fired power plants in the last 10 years-as much as 1000 gigawatts worth of alternatives to coal, also including natural gas, whether pipelined from Russia or fracked out of the country's own shale deposits. And even if that dream is realized, an International Energy Agency analysis suggests such a build out, though possible, is not sufficient to slow rising coal consumption unless China's economic or electricity use growth also slow significantly. To truly get China's CO2 pollution problem under control will require yet more technology, such as CO2 capture and storage, to clean up the emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. [blogs.scientificamerican.com]

» November 26 2014 - Coal, Oil and Gas, Stop Investing, Sovereign Wealth Fund, Investments. Norway's largest pension fund has vowed to drop its holdings in coal miners, intensifying pressure on the coal industry from global investors. The NKr470bn ($70bn) KLP pension scheme, which manages the retirement assets of Norway's public sector workers, will blacklist companies that derive more than 50 per cent of their revenues from coal-based activities. The pension fund expects the withdrawal to lead to the sale of shares and bonds worth approximately NKr500m. It will publish a list of the companies affected on December 1. KLP's decision to drop coal companies follows similar moves in the past two months by Australia's biggest public sector pension scheme, Local Government Super, the second Swedish national pension fund, AP2, and the Rockefeller Foundation. These investors join a list of more than 800 institutions that have committed to reducing their exposure to coal and other fossil fuel-driven companies over concerns that governmental action to combat climate change has made these investments more risky [FinancialTimes.com]

» November 26 2014 - China-US Climate Deal, Big Fossil Fuel Loss Revenue, Citigroup Report. Citigroup says the impact of the China-US climate deal signed earlier this month could total $US3.9 trillion ($A4.5 trillion) - that's the loss in revenue for Big Oil and Big Coal over the next 15 years from the joint undertaking on greenhouse gas emissions by the world's two biggest economies. And in a stinging rebuke to the fossil fuel lobby, the Abbott government and conservative commentators, Citigroup analysts say that a carbon price in Australia is inevitable, suggests thermal coal is on a permanent decline, and that investments in infrastructure surrounding the Galilee basin contain significant risk. It questions the viability of many oil projects, expresses doubt about carbon capture and storage, and punctures the big marketing ploy of Big Coal - happily echoed by the Abbott government - that coal is the answer to energy poverty, by saying that it will a strategy of "anything but coal" [reneweconomy.com.au]

» November 26 2014 - Climate Policy, North-South Divide, UNFCCC, Geopolitics, CP Article. Since 2009, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regime has seen the emergence of several new political groups. This article analyses how the new political groups are positioning themselves in relation to the key UNFCCC principles (the North–South divide and 'common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities', CBDR/RC). Drawing on original data, including official statements and submissions, observations at COP 17, COP 18, COP 19, and interviews with delegates, the article analyses the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China), the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the Cartagena Dialogue for Progressive Action (CD), the Durban Alliance (DA), the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC), and the Association of Independent Latin American and Caribbean States (AILAC). Modelled after Hendrik Wagenaar's approach to narrative policy analysis, the article draws a map of narrative positions based on the North–South and new CBDR/RC divisions. This framework reveals the embeddedness of narratives in practice as they unfold in the formation of new political groups. CVF, CD, DA and AILAC align on a narrative of 'shared responsibility across the North–South divide'. This meta-narrative challenges the hitherto dominant notion of CBDR/RC, which BASIC and LMDC defend through a meta-narrative of 'differentiated responsibility upholding the North–South divide' [tandfonline.com]

» November 25 2014 - Renewable Energy, PV, Oil Corporations, Japan. JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp., a Japanese refiner, plans to build four solar power stations in the country. The company will build a 2.5-megawatt station in Akita, a 2-megawatt plant in Ibaraki, a 1.1-megawatt plant in Saitama and a 1.3-megawatt plant in Hiroshima, according to a statement today. No financial terms were disclosed. The company already has 10 solar stations either in operation or under construction with a combined capacity of 28 megawatts in Japan, according to the statement [bnef.com]

» November 25 2014 - Gas, South Stream, Russia, EU. The construction work on the South Stream gas pipeline is continuing as planned, Head of the Russian Energy Ministry's oil and gas production and transportation department Alexander Gladkov stated Monday. "The work continues as planned, the prospects for the pipeline are not bad, we have agreements with the Serbs, and several other countries," Gladkov said at a press conference at Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency. Gazprom's Head of relations with Russian authorities Vladimir Markov confirmed that the South Stream construction is being carried out with minimal delays. He noted that Bulgaria remains the only country that has decided to suspend its participation in the project. Moscow hopes that work on the South Stream gas pipeline will continue after elections are over in Bulgaria and the European Union renews the European Commission. Moscow Hopes Bulgaria to Continue South Stream Project After Polls [...] Russian energy giant Gazprom started building the South Stream gas pipeline across the Black Sea in 2012 in order to reduce the unreliable passage of Russian natural gas to central and southern Europe through Ukraine. The pipeline is expected to be fully operational by 2018 [sputniknews.com]

» November 25 2014 - Climate Change, Impacts, World Bank Report. Some future impacts of climate change, such as more extremes of heat and sea level rise, are unavoidable even if governments act fast to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the World Bank said on Sunday. Past and predicted emissions from power plants, factories and cars have locked the globe on a path towards an average temperature rise of almost 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times by 2050, it said. "This means that climate change impacts such as extreme heat events may now be simply unavoidable," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim told a telephone news conference on the report, titled "Turn down the Heat, Confronting the New Climate Normal." "The findings are alarming," he said. Sea levels would keep rising for centuries because vast ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica thaw only slowly. If temperatures stayed at current levels, seas would rise 2.3 metres (7 ft 6 in) in the next 2,000 years, the report said. Average temperatures have already risen by about 0.8 degree(1.4F) since the Industrial Revolution, it said [reuters.com]

» November 24 2014 - Climate Change, Climate Finance, Low-Carbon Development, Climatepolicyinitiative Report. In December 2015, countries will gather in Paris to finalize a new global agreement to tackle climate change. Decisions about how to unlock finance in support of developing countries' low-carbon and climate-resilient development will be a central part of the talks. But key questions about how to finance the larger, global transition, will remain largely unresolved. These include, how much climate finance is needed around the world to deliver low-carbon energy systems and climate-resilience? How much investment is already flowing? Who are the key actors? And what is the optimal balance between public and private resources? The Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2014 supports serious debate on these key questions by drawing together climate finance data from numerous sources to present policy makers with the most comprehensive information available about the scale, key actors, instruments, recipients, and uses of finance supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation outcomes. In 2013, annual global climate finance flows totaled approximately USD 331 billion, falling USD 28 billion below 2012 levels [climatepolicyinitiative.org]

» November 24 2014 - Oil and Gas, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, Greece, Geopolitics. Greece, Turkey at odds over fuel reserves in Mediterranean [...] Concern is growing in the United States and Europe that the energy-rich eastern Mediterranean will become a new hot spot near an already-volatile region: the Middle East. Tension first flared last month when Turkey, at political odds with most of its regional neighbors, including Israel, Cyprus and Egypt, sent a research vessel and two frigates into disputed waters south of war-divided Cyprus to chart natural gas deposits as part of a naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Cypriot government, which Ankara, the Turkish capital, refuses to recognize after seizing the island's northern Turkish enclave in a 1974 invasion, suspended United Nations-sponsored reunification talks in retaliation [...] "The region is a gold mine, an El Dorado of oil and gas. The greater area has a capacity of about 500 trillion cubic feet, when Canada, the U.S. and Mexico together have 350 tcf" [latimes.com]

» November 24 2014 - Climate Change, Emissions Tranding System, Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan ETS Database, new data concern the second phase (2014-15) of the Kazakh cap-and-trade programme, with information on new installations as well as carbon allowance allocations for the years 2014 and 2015. 166 companies, emitting a total of around 150 MtCO2. Kazakhstan is the first country in Asia to have implemented an economy-wide emissions trading scheme. The Kazakhstan's emissions trading scheme started on 1 January 2013 and covers 55% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. It currently includes 166 companies from the following sectors: power and heat production, coal mining, oil and gas extraction, chemical industry, metallurgy, cement industry and other process industries. The 178 companies participating to the first phase of the scheme emitted in 2010 a total of 147 million tCO2. The overall objective is a 15% emissions reduction below 1992 levels by 2020 [carbonmarketdata.com]

» November 24 2014 - World Energy Outlook, Birol (IEA) presentation, Live Now at CSIS. The CSIS Energy and National Security Program is pleased to welcome Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the International Energy Agency (IEA), to present the IEA's 2014 World Energy Outlook. The global energy landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, reshaping long-held expectations for our energy future. Dr. Birol will help shed light on the rapidly evolving global energy landscape, presenting the WEO's comprehensive analysis of medium- and longer- term energy trends. This year’s edition of the WEO also has a special focus on the outlook for nuclear power and its implications, and an in-depth study of sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the prospects for improving access to modern energy services and for developing the region's huge resource potential in a way that contributes not only to regional and global energy balances, but also to local and social well-being [csis.org]

» November 24 2014 - Energy Security, World Countries Ranking, UK, WEC Report. Experts have put the UK on a watch list over concerns about the security and cost of its energy supplies, despite scoring highly in global rankings. The UK is only one of three countries to achieve an AAA rating in a report on 129 countries from the World Energy Council and management consultants Oliver Wyman for security, affordability and sustainability of energy supplies. But it is sliding in two out of the three areas the World Energy Council assesses in its latest World Energy Trilemma report, which looks at how countries balance having secure, equitable and clean energy resources. The report finds that energy systems are under increasing strain and governments are limiting their spending, putting in jeopardy the £30tn the World Energy Council said the energy sector needs over the next 20 years [theguardian.com]

» November 23 2014 - Oil and Gas, Iran. Iran Oil Ministry has given priority to commissioning of all phases of South Pars field which is shared by Qatar [...] by the end of the 5th Five-Year Development in 2018, national oil production capacity should reach 5.2 million barrels per day from present 4.2 million bpd [irna.ir]

» November 23 2014 - Oil and Gas, China, Geopolitics. CNPC (China's largest oil and gas producer)-Myanmar Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). According to the MOU, CNPC and Myanmar Ministry of Energy will strengthen communication in energy policies, technology, oil and gas projects and trade, in order to seek for more cooperation opportunities to promote the development of Myanmar's oil and gas industry. The two sides will deepen cooperation in oil and gas exploration and development, refining, and chemicals, and carry out preliminary studies on natural gas utilization and refinery construction projects. Meanwhile, CNPC will provide more skill training for Myanmar employees, and gradually raise the localization rate to create more jobs for the local communities [cnpc.com.cn]

» November 21 2014 - Oil Prices, Global Economy, Geopolitics. Falling oil prices from a peak of more than US$125 per barrel in early 2012 to US$80 in October 2014 appear to reflect a weakening global economy in Europe, the US and China. Coal and gas prices have dropped significantly too, while spot LNG prices on the Asia-Pacific market have halved since February 2014 from US$20 million British thermal units (mBtu) to US$10 by summer [...] The 30 per cent drop in oil prices between June and October 2014 appears temporary and confirmation of previous assumptions of more volatile global oil and gas markets, dependent on a return to a growing world economy. But this overlooks other fundamental factors and new strategic developments determining the world's oil and gas markets which could be more important and may have a longer-lasting impact. They highlight the shifting geopolitics caused by technological innovation linked with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing known as 'fracking', and seismic surveying technology leading to America's shale oil and gas revolution [worldreview.info]

» November 21 2014 - Energy Policy, Eu, Energy Transition. The Five Energy Labours of Juncker. The new team heading the European Commission in Brussels is lucky. Its predecessors closed two sensitive deals before the reshuffle: a European energy and climate strategy for 2030 and a gas winter package between Ukraine and Russia. On top of that, outgoing Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger finished off a thick report on the way forward for a European energy market. The new Commission will follow up on these three dossiers, plus two more dreamt up by its new chief Jean-Claude Juncker: the so-called Energy Union and a €300 billion investment package [iea.org]

» November 21 2014 - Climate Change, Low-Carbon Energy, IEA Document. The International Energy Agency (IEA) laid out five actions needed over the short- and long-term to achieve a low-carbon energy sector, and proposed concrete options for their implementation in the international climate negotiations to be held next month in Lima, Peru. A list of these options is included in the IEA document The Way Forward: Five Key Actions to Achieve a Low-Carbon Energy Sector [iea.org]

» November 21 2014 - Climate Change, Emissions, UNEP Report. 2014 Emissions gap report. This fifth Emissions Gap report has a different focus from previous years. While it updates the 2020 emissions gap analysis, it gives particular attention to the implications of the global carbon dioxide emissions budget for staying within the 2 °C limit beyond 2020. It does so because countries are giving increasing attention to where they need to be in 2025, 2030 and beyond. Furthermore, this year's update of the report benefits from the findings on the emissions budget from the latest series of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports [unep.org]

» November 21 2014 - Climate Change, Green Climate Fund. The Green Climate Fund is designed to help poor nations adapt to climate extremes like droughts and floods and to buy low-carbon energy sources. Rich nations previously vowed that by 2020, developing countries would get $100bn a year from such a fund. The Berlin conference aims to create a focus that will embarrass governments to come forward with contributions. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is supposed to hold at least $10bn by the end of 2014. The US has pledged $3bn, Japan has offered $1.5bn, and France and Germany have also offered significant sums. It is thought that the UK will pledge around $1bn from existing aid budgets [bbc.com]

» November 21 2014 - Tight-Oil, U.S., Oil Prices, IHS Report. The vast majority of potential US tight-oil production growth remains economical in the current crude oil price environment, according to a recent report by IHS. About 80% of potential gross US tight-oil capacity additions in 2015 would remain resilient at West Texas Intermediate prices dropped to $70/bbl, the report said. IHS examined the outlook for US tight-oil growth in light of the recent drop in oil prices, which have fallen by nearly a third since summer. IHS estimates 2015 US tight-oil production growth at about 700,000 b/d at an average 2015 price of $77/bbl. Though this would represent a slowdown from 2014 tight oil-growth of more than 1 million b/d, the amount of growth remains significant, the report said. "Since 2008 the cumulative growth in US tight-oil production has been 3.5 million b/d-far exceeding supply gains from the rest of the world combined-making tight oil the key driver of global supply growth," said Jim Burkhard, vice-president, IHS Energy. The report notes that existing tight-oil production is unaffected by the recent drop in oil prices. "Since the highest level of production costs occurs during the initial development phase of a well, existing wells can remain economical at crude oil prices far below the break-even price for new production," IHS noted. "Lower crude oil prices have a greater potential to affect supply growth because new wells require significant investment before production begins. In the initial months of production, the oil price is critical to determining the profitability of a new tight oil well," [ogj.com]

» November 20 2014 - Climate Change, Adaptation, UNFCCC Report. UNFCCC Adaptation Committee publishes 2014 Thematic Report: Institutional arrangements for national adaptation planning and implementation. The Adaptation Committee report, 2014, aims to raise awareness of the importance of institutional arrangements for adaptation. It highlights current arrangements and explores options to strengthen arrangements for the future. This report is second in a series of annual thematic reports prepared under the work plan of the Adaptation Committee to provide information on adaptation to Parties and the broader international adaptation community. [...] The 2014 report specifies a number of measures for institutions to enhance adaptation action through the concept of the four "I"s to adapt: integration, involvement, information, and investment. Recommendations to improve institutional arrangements are provided by the Adaptation Committee based on this concept [unfccc.int]

» November 20 2014 - Oil, U.S., Canada, Keyston XL Pipeline. US Senate votes no to Keystone XL construction. A bill to approve TransCanada's Keystone XL Pipeline, which would transport crude oil from Canada to the USA, has been rejected in the United States Senate. The Senate website states the legislation failed to pass the Senate by a 59 to 41 vote, with 60 votes needed for passage. Last week, the House of Representatives approved an identical bill authorising construction of the pipeline in a 252-161 vote [pipelinesinternational.com]

» November 20 2014 - Coal, Renewable Energy, Gas, Turkey, Economic Growth, BNEF-ECF-WWFT Report. The government of Turkey could achieve its aims of expanding electricity supply to meet the needs of a growing economy, and reducing dependence on imported natural gas, without adopting the coal-led strategy laid out in its official plans. Analysis from research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance, funded by the European Climate Foundation and commissioned by WWF-Turkey [...], shows that an alternative approach – based on building up generation capacity in renewables such as wind, solar and hydro-electric - could be achieved at comparable costs while also benefiting Turkey's environment and reducing its dependence on fossil fuel imports. The study found that it would cost almost the same (around $400bn) to build up and run Turkey's electricity generation to meet the growth in power demand between now and 2030, whether the capacity gap is closed with a mix of domestic lignite resources and hard coal or with investment in a mix of clean energy technologies. The latter approach would take advantage of expected significant reductions in the levelised cost of electricity per MWh for both solar photovoltaics and wind over the next decade and a half [Bloomberg New Energy Finance.com]

» November 20 2014 - Shale, U.S.. Oil Prices. With crude at $75 a barrel, the price Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says will be the average in the first three months of next year, 19 U.S. shale regions are no longer profitable, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Those areas, which include parts of the Eaglebine and Eagle Ford in East and South Texas, pumped about 413,000 barrels a day, according to the latest data available from Drillinginfo Inc. and company presentations. That compares with the 1.03 million-barrel gain in daily national output over the past year, government figures show. The expansion of U.S. oil supply to more than 9 million barrels a day is contributing to a global glut, driving down prices by as much as 32 percent since June. The data compiled by BNEF, which take into account the costs of drilling, royalties and transportation, show that certain shale patches fail to make money at the current price. Companies such as SandRidge Energy Inc. and Goodrich Petroleum Corp. said they expect to pump more oil for less money so they can withstand the rout [energyvoice.com]

» November 19 2014 - Energy Security, Global Energy Economy, Global Energy Governance, Geopolitics, Paper. Certain Normative Aspects of the Institutional Architecture of Global Energy Governance. The objective of this chapter is to promote global energy security by evaluating the existing patchwork of institutions and processes linked to the governance of the global energy economy. What we mean by global energy security is the satisfaction of humankind’s energy needs to maintain lifestyle levels in the developed world and to promote development and improve the quality of life across the world, including least-developed and developing countries. The chapter focuses on the global energy economy, its fragmented governance and its implications for global energy security. Inter-State governance over the global energy economy is neither global nor cohesive. Rather, the various aspects pertinent to it – amongst others, economic development, climate change, trade, investment protection, finance and human security – are managed in a disparate and disjointed manner. What is more, the absence of a global energy security regime to address global – i.e., humankind’s collective – energy needs justifies the need to investigate the implications of the current state of play for global energy security. To do so, we will examine all relevant institutions and processes linked to the global energy economy in order to assess their individual and combined implications for global energy security. This chapter therefore aims to promote an understanding of, and an attitude towards, the global energy economy that acknowledges that it is a composite affair with a high degree of interplay between its constituent parts, and that there are systemic reasons why the current state of play fails to address global energy security needs [R. Leal-Arcas, Queen Mary University of London - School of Law, A. Filis Queen Mary, University of London]

» November 19 2014 - G20, Brisbane, Energy. Brisbane G20, Strengthening Energy Markets. Well-functioning energy markets and reliable supply are vital to keeping down the cost of living for households and the cost of doing business. The global energy landscape has changed dramatically in recent decades. According to the International Energy Agency, global energy demand is expected to increase by over one-third by 2035 and the patterns of supply and demand are changing. Emerging economies have become major players and the balance of energy trade has shifted towards the Asia/Pacific region. Emerging economies are expected to account for more than 90 per cent of growth in energy demand to 2035. In 2014, the G20 is talking about what it can do to improve the operation of global energy markets (including gas markets), and to deepen collaboration between developed and emerging economies (including by improving international energy institutions). G20 members are also exploring how they can work together to acheive better outcomes on energy efficiency. The G20 continues its work to enhance the transparency of energy markets and to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption [g20.org]

» November 19 2014 - Energy, Low Carbon Technologies, IEA Insigths Paper. Mapping Multilateral Collaboration on Low-Carbon Energy Technologies. IEA analyses have consistently highlighted that low-carbon energy technologies have a crucial role to play in addressing current global challenges on energy security, sustainability and access. Recent years have seen a considerable increase in the number and range of multilateral initiatives seeking to foster the deployment of low-carbon energy technologies, yet the respective mandates, areas of activity and interactions of these initiatives are not always clear. This Insights Paper seeks to respond to that information gap. The paper summarises existing efforts to map multilateral collaboration on low-carbon energy technologies and sets out a basic analytical framework for characterising the mandate and institutional features, membership, technological scope, activities of and interactions among such initiatives. It then applies this common framework to a mapping of all relevant initiatives and concludes by exploring opportunities for research in this field [iea.org]

» November 19 2014 - Climate Change, Gas, Coal, Emissions, U.S. Clean Power Plan, CSIS Report. Remaking American Power. Remaking American Power seeks to help inform federal and state policymakers, energy producers, investors, and consumers about the potential energy market impacts of state and federal policy decisions associated with the Clean Power Plan as proposed. The report outlines the potential electric power sector and broader energy market impacts of policy design options and implementation choices by modeling the Clean Power Plan. In addition to mapping out the impacts on the electric power sector and consumers, the report also assesses the impact of the Clean Power Plan on potential changes in natural gas and coal production at the national and regional level [csis.org]

» November 19 2014 - Gas, South Stream, EU, Russia, Geopilitics, Gazprom, Eni, Wintershall, EDF. All preparations have been completed for the construction of the first two strings of the South Stream gas pipeline in the Black Sea, according to Gazprom. South Stream Transport has concluded front-end engineering and design activities for the offshore program, while Saipem is still working on detailed engineering of the trunkline system. Almost 300,000 tons of pipes have been produced for the first offshore string. Pipeline sections for the deepwater part are being welded in the port of Burgas, Bulgaria. The completed pipeline system is expected to reach its full capacity of 63 bcm/yr (2.2 tcf/yr) in 2018. South Stream Transport is a joint project company involving Gazprom (50%), Eni (20%), and Wintershall and EDF (15% each) [offshore-mag.com]

» November 18 2014 - Climate Change, Green Climate Fund, U.S.. The $3 billion U.S. Pledge for the Green Climate Fund: Is it a lot? The U.S. announcement of a pledge to the multilateral Green Climate Fund (GCF) was a carefully timed and important announcement about a change in the U.S. approach to acknowledging its responsibility for having contributed to this grave risk to the world’s poorest nations. But not in the way you might think. Suzanne Goldenberg first reported in the Guardian last Friday that the pledge would be $2.5 billion; Lisa Friedman then reported on ClimateWire that it would be $3 billion over 4 years. These sound like significant increases in U.S. climate finance. A fact sheet on the Whitehouse web page confirms the pledge and its conditions. But not so quick: the U.S. reported that it gave $7.5 billion in "Fast Start Finance" over the three years from 2010 to 2012. Yet when I joined my colleagues David Ciplet and Saleemul Huq in breaking down that number, we found that it was only about $5.1 billion in grants; the rest were loans that would need to be repaid, with interest, or "export credits," to American firms doing business in developing countries. And based on the U.S. having significantly contributed to global climate change and its unique monetary capability for solving it, the U.S.'s "fair share" was closer to $12 billion of the $30 billion the wealthy countries pledged back in Copenhagen in late 2009 [brookings.edu]

» November 18 2014 - US LTO (light tight oil), Crude Export Ban. "As development and growth of US LTO (light tight oil) continues to impress the industry, there is concern over the ability of the US refining system to absorb this production," says Harold York, principal analyst, Americas Downstream, Midstream & Chemicals for Wood Mackenzie. York adds that policy makers need to catch-up with the development of US crude oil production for the nation to fully capture the benefits and potential, as easing crude oil export restrictions will have implications beyond the US oil industry. The US crude export ban is highly politically sensitive with limited overt calls from either Republicans or Democrats for its rescission. However, Wood Mackenzie emphasizes that three converging elements may move the political process to action: 1.Economic stimulus. Tight oil will account for over US$70 billion of investment spending in 2014, which is about 60% of total US upstream investment. [...] 2. Sanctioned 'leakage' already occurring. The Commerce Department's approval to allow exports of minimally processed crude/condensate is a sanctioning of exports [...] 3. Changed political landscape leading to compromise. The recent mid-term election results have left President Obama facing an opposition led, Republican congress for his remaining two years in office. Like predecessors in similar situations, most recently ex-President Clinton, President Obama may use this issue to work with Republicans to keep his legislative influence viable in the last two years of his term [ogfj.com]

» November 18 2014 - Nuclear Power, Fuel Costs. This is the total annual cost associated with the "burnup" of nuclear fuel resulting from the operation of the unit. This cost is based upon the amortized costs associated with the purchasing of uranium, conversion, enrichment, and fabrication services along with storage and shipment costs, and inventory (including interest) charges less any expected salvage value. For a typical 1,000 MWe BWR or PWR, the approximate cost of fuel for one reload (replacing one third of the core) is about $40 million, based on an 18-month refueling cycle. The average fuel cost at a nuclear power plant in 2013 was 0.79 cents/kWh [nei.org]

» November 18 2014 - Disaster Resilience, Recostruction Projects, Germany. Ten years ago, a powerful seaquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a series of devastating tsunamis that wreaked unprecedented damage along the region's coasts, killing over 230,000 people. In Indonesia alone, the death toll reached 165,000. German tourists were also among those killed. The disaster sparked an equally unprecedented global relief effort to provide aid for the survivors. Donations from Tagesspiegel readers alone came to EUR 565,000. The money was given to a Welthungerhilfe project in Sri Lanka. So, what has come of the reconstruction projects started back then, or of private initiatives or the long-term development cooperation programmes? Are the people living in the region better equipped to deal with future disasters? How useful are the new early warning systems? [giz.de]

» November 18 2014 - Shale oil, Oil Prices, U.S., Saudi Arabia, Geopolitics. The shale oil boom which returns 25 percent of the New Mexico State revenue is under "bust" threat from Saudi Arabia. The current price decline in both midland Texas light sweet crude and brent (world price) will begin to defer future projects if prices fall to $72 a barrel and below. An estimated 80 percent of production and projected production in the next five years requires price stability higher than $ 75 per barrel. Saudi Arabia is combining market share strategy with a world oversupply of crude oil. Oil producers in New Mexico are partially protected through cash flow hedges, which are crude barrels sold forward with prices established in futures (must be higher than present prices). However, no more than 50 percent of production is estimated to be hedged or protected in 2015. The other half must be sold at whatever the market (West Texas crude) price will be. An oil company can hedge 2016 production at $79.00 per barrel compared to the current hedge protection of $95. Decline ratios (rate of recovery after initial production) are high. Massive drilling of new wells for replacement is the economic challenge. At least half of the new shale or light sweet crude oil production from the Southwest to North Dakota through the Rocky Mountain energy corridor is at risk [daily-times.com]

» November 18 2014 - Climate Change, Disaster Resilience, U.S., CSIS Report. Achieving Disaster Resilience in U.S. Communities. This report examines the disaster resilience efforts of the executive and legislative branches of government and public-private partnerships. Its recommendations are the product of a series of dialogues hosted by the CSIS Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program and the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation. Reflecting thoughts, findings, and viewpoints gleaned from the series, the authors provide guidance for officials who want to make progress in bolstering planning, partnerships, and capabilities to address the real, localized, and oftentimes devastating effects of natural disasters [csis.org]

» November 17 2014 - Oil, U.S. Production. Crude oil and lease condensate production in the United States exceeded 8.6 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in August, a production volume not observed since July 1986, according to EIA's latest Petroleum Supply Monthly. More than half of total U.S. production was accounted for by record production from three basins in three states. Production from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico accounted for 1.66 million bbl/d, while the Eagle Ford Shale in the Western Gulf Basin, also located in Texas, produced 1.57 million bbl/d. The Bakken Shale in North Dakota's Williston Basin accounted for 1.13 million bbl/d. Domestic production has increased dramatically over the past four years, increasing from 5.4 million bbl/d in January 2010 to its current level, driven by increasing production from shale and other tight formations. During 2014 alone, 10 states (the three states previously mentioned in addition to Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) have set monthly production records since 1995, and accounted for more than 64% of total U.S. production during August [eia.gov]

» November 17 2014 - Climate change, Brisbane G20. "Brisbane G20 may well become known as the 'defacto' climate change summit. "By calling for action powerful leaders - including President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron - put the issue front and centre of world attention. "The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pledged to make climate change a top priority for next year's G20. "Like inequality, gender equity and youth unemployment, climate change is one of the key economic issues of our time. [...] The official G20 Communique encourages these 20 economies – which are responsible for 80% of global greenhouse emissions – to reveal their post-2020 emission targets in the first half of 2015. "By tabling their proposed post-2020 carbon pollution targets in the first half of next year, and hopefully sooner, G20 nations will help to build trust and political momentum within the UN climate talks." "It’s clear the world is moving on climate change and we risk being left behind [...] WWF welcomed the announcements during the Summit of US$4.5 billion in funding for the Green Climate Fund by the United States of America and Japan. Missed opportunities. "The G20's so called action plan on energy efficiency is a big disappointment, representing little more than a commitment to keep on talking." Despite having a long-standing commitment to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies, the G20 failed to progress this issue in Brisbane in any meaningful way [wwf.panda.org]

» November 17 2014 - Renewadle Energy, Waters, Utilities, UE, Canada. RETScreen was recently integrated into the Water Assets Renewable Energy Solutions (WARES) project, an initiative under the auspices of the Northern Periphery Program of the European Union's European Regional Development Fund. The jus--completed WARES project focused on exploring and exploiting the hidden potential of water utilities to generate renewable energy. Project partners and sites were based in Finland, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom [retscreen.net]

» November 17 2014 - Energy, Ukraine, Geopolitcs. Now that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to natural gas supplies for this winter, what about Ukraine's energy supplies for the coming decades? Russia's annexation of Crimea and the intensifying conflict with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region are not only attacks on the country's territorial integrity - they put Ukraine's energy future in peril as well. Its offshore oil and gas resources are mostly near the Crimean peninsula, and much of its onshore resources are in the Donbass. Important energy investment projects are now on hold. Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil have tabled negotiations on a $10 billion investment to develop the Skifska offshore gas field near Crimea. Shell has also put on hold its exploration activities in the Yuzivska shale gas field, which lies directly in the conflict area outside Donetsk [naturalgaseurope.com]

» November 17 2014 - Oil, Kurdistan, Iraq. Kurdistan and the Iraqi central government have reached an important agreement over oil. Although the deal is only an interim agreement, leaving larger issues unresolved, the two sides forged a short-term compromise. The accord calls for the payment of $500 million from Baghdad to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). In return, the Kurds will turnover around half of their daily oil production - 150,000 barrels of oil per day. The two sides have been at an impasse since the beginning of the year. The KRG began exporting oil through Turkey without the approval from the central government in Baghdad. Under Iraqi law, oil must be exported under the auspices of a state-owned company. In retaliation for trying to sell oil on its own, Baghdad cut off the periodic revenue sharing payments to the KRG, which under Iraq's constitution, amounts to 17% of the national budget [oilprice.com]

» November 17 2014 - Japan Strategic Energy Plan, Hydrogen Society. With the horrors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident still vivid in people's minds, the contours of Japan's new energy strategy are becoming clearer. And the establishment of a 'hydrogen' society is likely to become a key pillar of Japan's energy future, writes Professor Dr Stefan Lippert. Since the disaster in March 2011, triggered after a tsunami in the east of the country, there remains scepticism about nuclear power among many in Japan. The country is still nuclear-free despite the efforts of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration and the 'nuclear village' - a group of pro-nuclear scientists, business executives, government bureaucrats and journalists - to shift the debate towards the economic necessity of restarting at least some of the nation's 48 remaining reactors. It is this public scepticism which is the key constraint because the ruling Liberal Democratic party does not want to lose votes in the 2016 general election due to unpopular measures. In April 2014, Japan produced its fourth Strategic Energy Plan, which put nuclear power back on the agenda, albeit at a reduced level. Nuclear is expected to become a baseload energy source - that which operates continuously - although Japan's record in renewables means that impressive results will continue. In the global solar race, only China moves faster than Japan. The development of wind energy has been much slower, but government and industry have high expectations for floating offshore wind platforms in deep water [worldreview.info]

» November 15 2014 - Gas, Russia-China Deal, Geopolitics. The latest China-Russia gas deal, declared on the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this week, got far more attention than it deserved. Eager to add fuel to the narrative of an emerging strategic relationship between Beijing and Moscow, commentators pronounced the deal as a game-changer, a symbol of a new partnership between long-estranged countries. Yet, a look beyond the words of Russian gas executives (always a good idea) suggests that there is much more hype than substance here. The deal seems to be little more than an effort to ensure that Putin did not leave China empty-handed, particularly in the wake of a big U.S.-China declaration on climate. What, in fact, did Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping agree to? The memorandum of understanding they signed differs in some significant ways from the previous, major gas deal inked in May. In that deal, Moscow and Beijing agreed on the terms to deliver 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Russia's as-yet-undeveloped gas fields in eastern Siberia to the heavily populated eastern corridor of China. The new deal, in contrast, is not binding and lacks agreement on key elements, most notably price. The decade-long negotiations that preceded the May deal produced a handful of similar memorandums over the years, which became somewhat routine and merely suggestive of a continued intent to pursue the contours of a deal. It was not until Gazprom and the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation successfully tackled the issue of price that the May deal, worth $400 billion at the time, was finalized. With the issue of price outstanding, this week's agreement seems more like a political statement [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu]

» November 15 2014 - Oil Markets, Oil Prices, IRAN. The Iranian regime is facing a deepening financial crisis as the price of crude oil plunges on international markets. The regime's budget deficit was reported by the state-run Ebtekar daily newspaper on November 8 issue as totalling 1.5 billion dollars. But economists believe the true figure is much higher. Hassan Rouhani, the president of the clerical regime, recently admitted that oil revenues had fallen by 30 per cent as the price of oil from $110 to $80 in October. Rouhani's vice-president Eshagh Jahangiri said: "Some countries have increased their oil exports for political reasons, and these countries will face the reaction of the Muslim people." The Iranian regime had calculated its budget for 2014 based on oil priced at $100 per barrel and oil exports of around 300,000 barrels per day. OPEC statistics to October show the average price of Iranian oil on the international market was $103 per barrel, but the price is now below $80 a barrel, and not expected to increase, dramatically worsening the regime's budget deficit [ncr-iran.org]

» November 14 2014 - Oil Markets, Oil Prices, OPEC. Brent crude rose for the first time in a week amid specation that the drop in prices below $80 a barrel increases the likelihood that OPEC will cut production. West Texas Intermediate was little changed in New York. Futures gained as much as 1.4 percent in London. OPEC producers have stepped up their diplomatic visits before the group's meeting in two weeks, potentially seeking a consensus on how to react to oil prices that have plunged to a four-year low. Prices could slide further in the coming months as the market enters a period of weaker demand, the IEA said today. Oil has collapsed into a bear market as leading members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries resisted calls to cut production and U.S. shale boom lifted output to the highest level in three decades. Brent is heading for its eighth weekly decline, the longest retreat since the contract began trading in 1988 [fuelfix.com]

» November 14 2014 - Oil and Gas, OPEC, Sustainable Energy Solution, Secretary General contributes to G20 Summit. With the world's population expected to reach more than 8.6 billion by 2035 - an increase of around 1.4 billion from today's level – and energy demand anticipated to expand by more than 50 per cent over the same period, the need to find sustainable energy solutions is profound. And in the search for solutions, it is important to appreciate what 'sustainable energy' means to people across the world. It is clear it means different things to different people [...] From the perspective of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), its members continue to invest in order to maintain existing capacity and add new oil production. OPEC's projections see oil demand rising by around 20 million barrels per day during the period from now to 2035, with OPEC expected to supply slightly more than 50 per cent of this increase. It is committed to making sure there is a balanced market between supply and demand. However, like any investment, supply and demand will be influenced by various factors - such as policies, oil prices and overall economic conditions. This leads to the second challenge concerning the importance of a sustainable and efficient energy future that takes into account the needs of all. Climate change, the need to protect the environment and the more efficient use of energy are obviously serious issues. This is something OPEC fully recognises. OPEC members have positively and constructively engaged in the United Nations' climate change negotiations and are committed to achieving an effective and comprehensive outcome based on full consensus – one that fully complies with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [g20.newsdeskmedia.com]

» November 14 2014 - Natural Gas, U.S., Export Restictions. As America's oil and natural gas production continues to grow, more consumers, groups and lawmakers are calling for the repeal of the nearly 40-year old ban on exporting U.S. oil and gas overseas. Some supporters of the repeal have come together to form the group Producers for American Crude Oil Exports (PACE), and according to PACE Executive Director George Baker, the purpose of the venture is to boost public awareness regarding the need to better align Washington, D.C.'s policies with America's current position, reported FuelFix.com. The group has registered as a lobbying effort, as is required by law, and its paperwork shows it is financially backed by 14 independent oil companies, including ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil, Noble Energy, Anadarko Petroleum, Chesapeake Energy, Concho Resources, EOG Resources, Hess, Laredo Petroleum, Continental Resources, Devon Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Ecana Oil and Gas and Occidental Petroleum. These companies have a combined market capitalization of $441 billion, according to FuelFix. Not the first lobbying group on the issue. The creation of PACE follows the formation of Consumers and Refiners United for Domestic Energy (CRUDE), which filed as a lobbying group earlier in the year. CRUDE advocates keeping American oil in the U.S. and directly counters the efforts of PACE. CRUDE, which was founded by Philadelphia Energy Services, Monro Energy, PBF Energy and Alon USA Energy Inc., believes exporting oil overseas will hurt the U.S.'s ability become energy independent, according to FuelFix [pennenergy.com]

» November 14 2014 - World Energy System, Events Risk and Stress, Geopolitics, IEA's WEO 2014. Five take-home messages from the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2014. Current events risk distracting governments "from recognising and tackling the longer-term signs of stress that are emerging in the energy system" says the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2014 unveiled on 12 November in London. Just like a year ago, it warns that long-term oil supplies are far from secure, with the Middle East re-establishing itself as the main supplier in the long-term. Moreover, while low-carbon sources (renewables and nuclear) may provide a quarter of global energy supplies by 2040, the world is still set for a 3.6 degree temperature rise. Energy Post sets out five take-home messages, including from special sections on nuclear power and sub-Saharan Africa: 1) Long-term oil supplies are not secure; 2) The world is still on track to 3.6 degrees warming; 3) Emerging economies are in the driving seat; 4) Nuclear power faces an uncertain future; 5) Fossil fuel consumption subsidies do not help the poor [energypost.eu]

» November 14 2014 - Renewable Energy, PV, South Africa. With seven of the world's fastest growing economies located in Africa, it should not be a surprise that the continent's energy demands will only surge in the coming decade. Hence plenty of opportunities exist for clean energy companies as investors worldwide realize Africa, with all of its risks, is a booming market. To that end, California-based Solar Reserve, together with numerous partners, has completed and launched the Jasper PV Project in South Africa. Built in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, the Jasper solar power plant is now the largest of its kind on the African continent. The consortium that led the development of the Jasper facility included the Kensani Group, Intikon Energy, Rand Merchant Bank and Google. Incidentally, the Jasper plant is Google's first clean energy investment within Africa. Located near the diamond mining center of Kimberley, the 96 megawatt plant and its 325,000 photovoltaic modules will provide enough energy for approximately 80,000 homes. The Jasper plant is also important as a step toward South Africa's renewable energy goals. The country of 53 million basks under bountiful sun and withstands plenty of wind, but renewables still have not come close to being fully exploited. South Africans also endure blackouts on a regular basis, and energy shortages have long been the bane of conducting business in Africa's second largest economy [triplepundit.com]

» November 14 2014 - Nuclear Power, Iran, Russia, Group5+1. Iran, Russia to have long-term cooperation on nuclear power plants. Sanaei - Iran's Ambassador to Russia - wrote in his weblog in Russian social network 'Life Journal' on Thursday that Iran and Russia signed three cooperation documents on November 11, 2014 upon which Russia will construct two atomic power plants in Iran. He pointed out that signed cooperation agreements indicated the two countries have no doubt on their decision for long-term cooperation. Signed documents also show decrease of third countries influence on bilateral relations, Sanaei said, adding that the two countries take decisions in the framework of their own national interests without considering pressures from third countries. In spite of criticism from a number of Iranian elites and politicians concerning delays in commissioning Bushehr atomic power plant by Russia, Iran considers commissioning of the power plant as an important achievement, the ambassador stressed. [...] Sanaei wrote that signed MoU on feasibility study on joint production of nuclear fuel, three days ago, indicated that the Russian side wishes to maintain its constructive role in Iran's nuclear dossier and make progress in cooperation with Iran, so to be able to help and support negotiation process between Iran and Group 5+1. Three cooperation documents were signed on Tuesday in Moscow during visit of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi and Russian state company of Rusatom [irna.ir]

» November 13 2014 - Climate Risk, Country Adaptation Index. the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index released its 2014 Country Index showing which countries are best prepared to deal with overcrowding natural resource constraints and climate disruption. Using 18 years of data, the free and open source index ranks 177 countries against 45 indicators, including not only vulnerabilities but also the readiness to accept adaptation investment [gain.org]

» November 13 2014 - Energy, Water, Food, ECN Report. Energy, water and food resource systems are fundamentally interrelated. We need energy to produce food and to treat and move water; we need water to cultivate food crops and to generate essentially any form of energy; and we need food to support the world's growing population that both generates and relies on energy and water services. Land availability also constitutes an important element in each of these three resources, for example for crop production for either food or energy purposes. This mutual relationship is defined as the "Energy-Water-Food Nexus". To date, the three individual resource systems of energy, water, and food have mostly been organised and studied independently. In a rapidly developing world with ever more pressing environmental challenges, however, choices and actions in each of these three domains can significantly affect the others, positively or negatively. Therefore it is important to take a "nexus approach" to analysing these three resource systems. Conventional policy- and decision-making with regards to each of these domains in isolation is not necessarily anymore the most effective or optimal course of planning or action. A "nexus approach", which in our context refers to a multidisciplinary type of analysis of the relationship between energy, water and food, can help to reduce trade-offs and to build synergies across these different sectors. In an increasingly complex and interrelated world this approach can lead to better and more efficient resource use as well as cross-sectoral policy coherence [ecn.nl]

» November 13 2014 - Oil Markets, Oil Prices, OPEC Production. Brent crude oil prices fell to $84/bbl at the end of October from $95/bbl at the beginning of the month. A handful of core drivers for this tumble include weakening outlooks for global economic and oil demand growth, the return to the market of previously disrupted Libyan crude oil production, and continued growth in US tight-oil production. In the most recently released Short-Term Energy Outlook, the US Energy Information Administration projects that Brent crude oil prices will average $83/bbl in 2015, $18/bbl lower than forecast in last month's STEO. "There is significant uncertainty over the crude oil price forecast because of the range of potential supply responses from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, and US tight-oil producers to the new lower oil price environment, EIA said. As noted by the outlook, Saudi Arabia's role in the oil market going forward is highly uncertain. Unlike in the past acting as the swing producer, the kingdom has stated that it would rather maintain its export market share than cut production to bolster oil prices [ogj.com]

» November 13 2014 - Climate Change, U.S.-China Agreement, Scientific America Article. Everything You Need to Know about the U.S.-China Climate Change Agreement. The U.S. will double the speed of its current pollution reduction trajectory, which has seen carbon dioxide emissions fall roughly 10 percent below 2005 levels to date. The country will now aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. That's in addition to the 17 percent reduction below 2005 levels due by 2020 and shows the kind of five-year planning the U.S. would like to see adopted in international plans to combat climate change. In other words, ever-increasing ambition in reduction targets delivered every five years. "This is an ambitious goal, but it is an achievable goal," Obama said. "It puts us on a path to achieving the deep emissions reductions by advanced economies that the scientific community says is necessary to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change." Although Chinese leaders are quite fond of five-year plans, their new climate version would not begin until "around 2030," under the terms of the new agreement. That is when the country's CO2 pollution will peak, advancing the Chinese war on pollution onto the invisible front. The nation will also "strive" to reach that peak even sooner. Just as Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli pledged at the United Nations in September "to peak total CO2 pollution as soon as possible," now Xi has followed through in November with the first agreed-on date to cap its global warming pollution by 2030. The problem is coal, which currently provides more than 70 percent of the energy the fast-developing nation uses. Hundreds of new coal-burning power plants account for how China surpassed the U.S. in the past decade as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. But already several Chinese cities and provinces are experimenting with the kind of capitalist solutions favored by U.S. free marketeers-cap-and-trade programs that in some cases even extend to cover public transportation and buildings themselves. These programs are pilots and may be scaled up for a national program expected in coming years or scrapped in favor of some new national plan or carbon tax. "China has plans for a national market and one that is the most ambitious in the world," says Barbara Finamore, Asia director at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council and longtime Beijing resident. "It would dwarf any other carbon market in the world." More importantly perhaps, the Chinese central government has begun to talk about a cap on coal-burning itself. Statistics show that this year coal use in China slowed for the first time this century, dropping by around 1 percent, according to Greenpeace International. The hopeful sign suggests that peak coal use could come within the next decade or so, although this dip could also be a result of slowing economic growth rather than proactive efforts to slow climate change. But peak coal use is exactly what the Chinese have agreed to ensure now, along with cuts in CO2 intensity by 2020. Already China's National Development and Reform Commission has laid out a plan to cope with climate change through the end of the decade. That means building even more nuclear power plants, wind farms, hydroelectric dams and even to start employing more solar power, of which the country installed 12 gigawatts-worth in 2013. In fact, in 2013 more new clean energy sources were added to the grid in China than fossil fuel-fired power-for the first time ever. China has added several hundred gigawatts-worth of such clean energy-the Three Gorges Dam alone pumps out 22 gigawatts- but hopes to add as much as 1,000 gigawatts of these low-carbon emitting sources by 2030. That would constitute 20 percent of its energy—and roughly the total amount of all electricity produced in the U.S. or all the coal-fired power plants China has built in the last few decades. It's also double what the Chinese have committed to achieve by 2015 in their current Five-Year Plan. China is already the world leader in new nuclear and new renewable energy sources, and the energy intensity of its economy dropped by more than 19 percent between 2006 and 2010. But this week's commitment will require an acceleration in these already fast-paced transition efforts [scientificamerican.com]

» November 13 2014 - World Energy Outlook 2014, IEA. Does growth in North American oil supply herald a new era of abundance - or does turmoil in parts of the Middle East cloud the horizon? How much can energy efficiency close the competitiveness gap caused by differences in regional energy prices? What considerations should shape decision-making in countries using, pursuing or phasing out nuclear power? How close is the world to using up the available carbon budget, which cannot be exceeded if global warming is to be contained? How can sub-Saharan Africa's energy sector help to unlock a better life for its citizens? Answers to these questions and a host of others are to be found in the pages of World Energy Outlook 2014 (WEO-2014), released on 12 November in London. Bringing together the latest data and policy developments, the WEO-2014 presents up to date projections of energy trends for the first time through to 2040. Oil, natural gas, coal, renewables and energy efficiency are covered, along with updates on trends in energy-related CO2emissions, fossil-fuel and renewable energy subsidies, and universal access to modern energy services [worldenergyoutlook.org]

» November 12 2014 - Oil Sands, Canada, 2015-2038 Production Forecast, CERI Report. Canadian oil and oil equivalent production averaged 3.5 million barrels per day in 2013. Oil sands related production accounted for 56 percent of this total or 1.98 million barrels per day and of that number 51 percent was non-upgraded, raw bitumen, while 49 percent was upgraded to synthetic crude oil. During the same year Canada exported on average 2.57 million barrels per day with 97 percent of those exports going to the United States. For the period 2014 to 2038: Oil sands production (upgraded and non-upgraded) is forecasted to grow from the current level of 1.98 million barrels per day (2013) to 3.7 million barrels per day by 2020 and 5.2 million barrels per day by 2030. Total investment in new Alberta oil sands projects and re-investment (sustaining capital) in existing oil sands projects will exceed $514 billion (2013 Canadian dollars). Revenues from all existing and new projects will exceed $2,484 billion (2013 Canadian dollars).vThe sum of initial capital for new projects, sustaining capital for existing projects and operating and maintenance expenses for all projects is expected to average $55 billion per year (2013 Canadian dollars). Total GDP impacts of all oil sands investment, re-investment and operating revenues is estimated to be $3,865 billion for Canada. Oil sands related total Canadian employment (direct, indirect and induced), as a result of construction of new projects and the operation of new and existing projects, is expected to continue growing from the current level (2014) of 514,000 jobs to a peak of 802,000 jobs in 2028. Oil sands related direct employment in Alberta, including on-site construction, ongoing and turnaround maintenance, off-site prefabrication and modular construction, steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well development and cold bitumen well development, is expected to continue growing from the current level (2014) of 146,000 jobs to a peak of 256,000 jobs in 2024. Oil sands related taxes directed to the Canadian Federal Government will total $574 billion (2013 Canadian dollars). Oil sands related taxes (excluding royalties) directed to the Province of Alberta will total $302 billion (2013 Canadian dollars). Oil sands royalties are forecasted to grow from the current level (2013) of $4.4 billion to $18.2 billion by 2023. The cumulative total of royalties that will be collected by the Alberta Government will exceed $600 billion over the next 25 years (2013 Canadian dollars). For every direct job generated in the Alberta oil sands, 1 additional job is generated by indirect association and 1.5 jobs by induced association, in Canada [ceri.ca]

» November 12 2014 - Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, U.S., China, Emissions Cuts Agreement. A climate breakthrough in Beijing?. After nine months of secret negotiations, the US and China have agreed to significant emissions cuts, and for the first time Beijing has announced that its emissions will peak in 2030 [...] just a few points of scepticism, or at least wariness. This deal is good news for all sorts of reasons, but it's worth remembering that these are just targets (the UK set targets too, and is on track to miss them) which are not really enforceable. And given the long lead times (2025 for Washington to meet its new emissions targets; 2030 for Beijing's emissions to peak), it's going to be difficult to hold both countries to their commitments. Then there is the sheer scale of what the two countries have agreed to take on. The US will have to double the pace of its carbon pollution reduction to meet the new target. As for China, the US statement notes that, for Beijing to meet its target of having 20% of energy from zero-emissions sources, 'it will require China to deploy an additional 800-1,000 gigawatts of nuclear, wind, solar and other zero emission generation capacity by 2030 - more than all the coal-fired power plants that exist in China today and close to total current electricity generation capacity in the United States'. Given China's demand for coal and the fact that renewables have not risen as a percentage of global energy production in the last decade, this seems like a tall order [lowyinterpreter.org]

» November 12 2014 - Climate Change, Adaptation Strategies, German Energiewende, University of Luneburg Working Paper. Climate change adaptation strategies within the framework of the German "Energiewende" - Is there a need for government interventions and legal obligations? The option of adapting to climate change is becoming more important in climate change policy. Hence, responding to climate change now involves both mitigation to address the cause and adaptation as a response to already ongoing or expected changes. These changes are also of relevance for the energy sector in Germany. An energy sector that in the course of the German "Energiewende", also has to deal with a fundamental shift in energy supply from fossil fuel to renewable energies in the next decades. Based on a synthesis of the current knowledge regarding the possible influences of climate change on the German energy sector along its value-added chain, the paper points out, that the possible impacts of a changing climate should be taken into account in the upcoming infrastructure projects in the course of the Energiewende. The main question here is, whether adaptation options will be implemented voluntarily by companies or not. The paper argues that this has to be the case, when the measure is a private good. If, on the contrary, the measure is a public good, additional incentives are needed. For the German energy sector, the paper shows, that governmental intervention are for example justifiable regarding measures to adapt the grid infrastructure as a critical infrastructure that needs to be protected against current and future impacts of climate change [leuphana.de]

» November 11 2014 - Brisbane G20 Summit, Energy Availability, Renewable Energy, GDP Growth. Our projections for different groups of countries add up to produce a global GDP growth of about 4 percent per year in the period 2020 to 2030. This is a little higher than the IMF forecast of 3.9 percent for 2014 to 2019, but it is not unreasonable if one allows for the impact of improved performance in the EMDEs (emerging and developing economies). Given their increasing share in global GDP a modest improvement in EMDE performance could offset slower growth in the advanced economies. It is relevant to ask whether there are aggregate supply constraints that might force the world economy to slow down. Availability of energy is clearly one potential problem, and although falling energy prices from July to October 2014 make this look less of a problem than it did only a few months ago, there is no justification for complacency over a longer period. However, it can be argued that technological change related to the exploitation of renewable energy along with advances in energy efficiency could help overcome this constraint [brookings.edu]

» November 11 2014 - Renewable Energy, West Africa, REN21 Report. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region has vast renewable energy resources but the energy market to-date remains underdeveloped. REN21's ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Report documents developments in the region, providing a regional perspective on the renewable energy and energy efficiency market and industry development across West Africa. The report details ECOWAS Member states' commitment to developing renewable energy and energy efficiency by addressing current energy sector challenges while simultaneously building a resilient energy system. Sustained investment in the region's renewables sector however is desperately needed. The report is for policymakers, industry, investors and civil society to make informed decisions with regards to the diffusion of renewable energy [ren21.net]

» November 11 2014 - Fossil Fuel, Reserves and Subsidies, G20. How the G20 subsidises exploration for fossil fuel. Governments from G20 countries are spending $88bn to subsidise the search for new oil, gas and coal reserves - more than double the amount being spent by the top 20 private oil and gas companies. The UK, for example, is spending $664m for exploration in Russia, Brazil, India and Ghana among other nations, according to the Overseas Development Institute who gathered the data. Click on the buttons below to see where 10 selected countries are directing their funds in the search for fossil fuels [theguardian.com]

» November 10 2014 - Energy Security, Geopolitical Instability, IEA, Geopolitics. Recent geopolitical instability and conflict in major oil- and gas-producing regions are a cause for concern. The IEA has been closely monitoring developments in Eastern Europe and across the Middle East and North Africa to ascertain their impact on energy markets. Thus far, we have seen only relatively minor disruptions, which have been offset by well-supplied markets. And oil prices have actually weakened in the face of the tensions, indicating that markets feel comfortable about supply. But diplomacy has not yet resolved the underlying areas of contention, so we must remain vigilant. While a market response is always preferable, the IEA and its members stand ready to act if needed. But collective action to release emergency oil stocks has always been a "last resort" strategy - though an effective one -and is short-term by nature. It is only one tool in the toolbox. And interestingly, it is something of a relic from a time when the definition of energy security was rooted solely in oil. That definition has changed in the 40 years since the IEA was created. And just as our definition of energy security has changed, the ways in which we work to achieve it also are changing. Perhaps the most striking change in how we approach energy security is that while each country must find its own solutions, the challenge is now global. Initially, energy security was seen primarily as a concern of industrialised countries, but this is no longer the case. This is why we are exploring ways to develop stronger multilateral cooperation [energypost.eu]

» November 10 2014 - Oil, Production&Resources, Kazakhstan. OPEC won't cut its collective crude output when it meets this month and global oil prices will stabilize once the surplus is absorbed by the market, Kuwait Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair said. OPEC, which supplies about 40 percent of the world's oil, meets Nov. 27 to debate supply. The 12-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which has a production target of 30 million barrels a day, pumped 30.974 million barrels a day in October, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. [...] Oil tumbled into a bear market this year as supply expanded from the U.S. to Libya. OPEC members Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have resisted calls to cut output while Libya, Venezuela and Ecuador have asked for action to prevent even lower prices [bloomberg.com]

» November 10 2014 - Oil, Production&Resources, Kazakhstan. "The Kumkol oilfield resources will be depleted in the next 10-15 years to come," Governor of the Kyzylorda region Krymbek Kusherbayev told [...] at the Central Communications Service in Astana. According to him, extractable resources of the region's largest oilfield are estimated at just 126 mln tons while its annual oil production hit 10 mn tons. "If we don't change the economic structure now and don't take urgent economic diversification measures we will sentence the region to face great problems then. That's why the President's industrial and innovation program is the only way out to change the structure and develop the region [inform.kz]

» November 10 2014 - Gas, Russia, China. Russia and China have signed a memorandum of understanding to supply gas from western Siberia to China. It is the second big gas deal to be sealed this year as President Vladimir Putin builds investment ties with China to counter increasing isolation from the west. The framework agreement between China National Petroleum Corporation and Russian energy group Gazprom is for an additional 30bn cubic metres of gas per year. It follows a $400bn agreement in May for Russia to sell up to 38bcm of gas per year from eastern Siberia to northeastern China. The deals represent welcome diplomatic and financial support for Mr Putin, whose regime is under fire from the west over its support for Russian separatists in Ukraine. Energy exports are Russia's primary source of hard currency and the expectation is that the Chinese would help with the expensive task of building and financing the pipelines [ft.com]

» November 10 2014 - Low Carbon Economy, Aircraft Industry. The aircraft industry is expecting a seven-fold increase in air traffic by 2050, and a four-fold increase in greenhouse gas emissions unless fundamental changes are made. But just how "fundamental" will those changes need to be and what will be their effect on the aircraft we use? The crucial next step towards ensuring the aircraft industry becomes greener is the full electrification of commercial aircraft. That's zero CO2 and NOx emissions, with energy sourced from power stations that are themselves sustainably fuelled. The main technological barrier that must be overcome is the energy density of batteries, a measure of how much power can be generated from a battery of a certain weight. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that once batteries are capable of producing 400 Watt-hours per kilogram, with a ratio of power cell to overall mass of between 0.7-0.8, an electrical transcontinental aircraft becomes "compelling". Another aspect is the exponential fall in the cost of solar panels, which have already become the cheapest form of power in most US states. The expected 70% reduction in cost of lithium-ion batteries by 2025, and the rapid rise seen in the cost of kerosene-based jet fuel means that there will be a large and growing disparity in the costs of running aircraft that will greatly favour electrification [businesstech.co.za]

» November 10 2014 - Renewable Energy Investment, Climate Change, Australia. New investment into renewable energy projects has dropped by 70 per cent, a report by the Climate Council says. In the last five years most countries around the world had accelerated action on climate change, with China and the United States two of the global leaders on the issue, the report, Lagging Behind: Australia and the Global Response to Climate Change, said. But while Australia was a crucial player in global climate action, it had "moved from a leader to laggard", the report said. In addition, the Climate Council said the Federal Government needed to make its position on renewable energy clear, before Australia lost even more investment in new energy projects. Earlier this year a government commissioned review of Australia's Renewable Energy Target (RET) recommended it be scaled back or wound up. The review also suggested closing the scheme to new companies involved in larger renewable energy projects [abc.net.au]

» November 10 2014 - Renewable Energy, PV, Solar Cells, Solar Panels. There has been a lot of effort over the past decade or so to develop transparent solar cells that can be used in see-through solar panels. Those panels could replace windows in large buildings or be an unnoticeable addition to a roof, but what about solar panels that could be integrated into the walls of buildings? CSEM, a Swiss non-profit technology company, has come up with a technology that lets solar panels do just that. Researchers with CSEM have developed solar panels that can come in different colors and have no visible connections, which gives architects a lot of room to incorporate solar power into buildings without having to give up any aesthetic goals. The researchers have focused on white solar panels, not just because of the versatility of the color, but because white solar panels would stay cooler, which boosts their efficiency, and using them over large sections like the roof would keep the buildings themselves cooler, which would reduce the energy demand of cooling buildings [treehugger.com]

» November 10 2014 - Climate Change, Adaptation Strategies, Natural Environment, EU, ENCA Report. Climate change increases the need for a cross-European approach to conservation, for example because of likely shifts in species' ranges and the increased need to manage large scale ecosystem processes, such as hydrology, that cross national borders. While there is still a lot we do not know about the effects of climate change on the natural environment, and about appropriate adaptation strategies, there is great potential to share information among the different European countries and to learn from each other's approaches and experiences. This report summarises much of the work done by, and for, the Climate Change Group of the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) between 2011 and 2013. The ENCA Climate Change Group is made up of experts in climate change and ecology from government conservation agencies across Europe. Current members of the group include representatives from conservation agencies in England, Germany, Switzerland, Wales, Scotland, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Norway and the Dutch province of Gelderland. The group is chaired by Natural England [bfn.de]

» November 07 2014 - Climate Change, Climate Agreement, Paris 2015, Fergus Green (Grantham Research Institute) Paper. This time is different: The prospects for an effective climate agreement in Paris 2015. A question of central importance to preparations for COP21 in Paris is: what sort of policy architecture is most likely to generate sufficiently ambitious action to reduce global emissions? This paper argues that the oft-heard call for a 'legally binding' agreement is too simplistic. It finds that the focus on 'nationally-determined contributions', which are unlikely to be binding under international law, is likely to enable the participation, and increase the ambition, of the largest, systemically important emitters, including China and the United States. Any agreement in Paris needs to have dynamic elements that provide for regular reviews and revision of commitments, so that countries' ambition can be ratcheted up over time, as technical and political barriers that inhibit higher domestic ambition are overcome. International cooperation on climate action beyond the main Paris agreement will also be important. Coalitions of countries could seek deeper emissions reductions 'on the side' of the formal negotiations with collaborative action that focuses on particular areas, for example coordination of low-carbon innovation and phasing out the use of coal for power generation [lse.ac.uk]

» November 07 2014 - Energy, Clean Technology Innovation, EU. Cleantech innovation in Europe: here are the gamechangers of the future. At a "business booster" event in Barcelona, sixty European cleantech startups supported by KIC InnoEnergy, presented themselves to the world. They offered an impressive variety of new technologies and market innovations, ranging from new storage devices and solar chips to energy saving techniques, financing models and consumer engagement platforms. In this article we present to you some of the gamechangers of our future energy system – all made in Europe. "The future looks good," said Diego Pavía, the CEO of KIC InnoEnergy, one of the three companies set up by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in 2010 to make innovation happen in Europe (the other two are Climate KIC and ICT Labs). Working with a dozen top universities, over 150 industrial partners and the top-10 cleantech venture capitalists in Europe, KIC InnoEnergy offers educational programmes (Master programmes), supports innovation projects and actively helps create new businesses in Europe. [...] According to Diego Pavía, there are three highly promising sectors at the moment to invest in. The first is offshore wind. Secondly, he said, "where we see real gamechangers is in the convergence of heat, gas and electricity". Today, Pavía noted, "those energy carriers are viewed separately. In the future they will be more and more combined, as for instance in power-to-gas applications." Thirdly, Pavía sees a "critical mass" emerging in “business model innovation". "We see companies that are ready not just to create new businesses, but new markets. They are rethinking the energy system. They will completely change the game." Pavía did not want to elaborate on this, but he said that KIC InnoEnergy would soon announce a new initiative involving various startups that would "change the rules" of the market [energypost.eu]

» November 07 2014 - Climate Change, Climate-Smart Agriculture, FAO's Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme Report. Science to support climate-smart agricultural development - Concepts and results from the MICCA pilot projects in East Africa. The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) led the scientific activities of the Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Pilot Projects in Kenya and Tanzania. The research results are summarized in this publication which is directed at local and national decision-makers, researchers and practitioners. It looks at the concepts behind the MICCA's research activities in East Africa. It describes the analytical approaches used and reveals key messages relevant to discussions on climate-smart agriculture [fao.org]

» November 06 2014 - Oil Prices, Oil Production, World Economy, Saudi Arabia, Opec, U.S.. Oil prices slumped to multi-year lows on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia discounted supplies to the U.S., a move that is shaking an already volatile market but will likely give the world economy an unexpected stimulus. The 25 percent or so slide in oil prices since the summer could boost consumer spending and business investment in many economies around the world as fuel bills fall. But not everyone's a winner. Oil producing countries like Russia and Venezuela, which have high extraction costs and whose budgets rely on assumptions of relatively high energy prices, stand to lose out. The benchmark New York contract dropped another 3.2 percent Tuesday to $76.22, its lowest level since October 2011. It was trading at $100 a barrel as recently as July. Brent, the international benchmark, declined 2.5 percent, to $82.69, having earlier fallen to $82.08, its lowest level in just over four years. Adam Slater, senior economist at Oxford Economics, reckons the recent fall in oil prices, if sustained, could add around 0.4 percent to GDP in the U.S. in two years, and a little less in Europe. China, which is the second-largest oil consumer and on track to become the largest net importer of oil, could see GDP 0.8 percent higher than it otherwise would have been. "This is similar to a surprise stimulus," said Slater. Lower oil prices wouldn't necessarily be a welcome sign if they were due mainly to weak demand, as occurred in 2008 in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The shock to confidence stoked by that bankruptcy led to the world's deepest economic recession since World War II, pushing the benchmark New York rate to around $35 a barrel from over $140 in the space of a few months. Though a drop in demand is a factor in the current slump amid concerns over growth in Europe and China, Slater says supply-side factors are having a much bigger impact than in 2008. The rise of fracking in the U.S., the return of oil output from Iraq and Libya and Saudi Arabia's willingness to resist production cuts have combined to weigh on prices. On Monday, Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest oil producer, cut prices for customers in the U.S. The move has been interpreted as an attempt by the country to maintain its market share in the world's largest economy against imports from the likes of Canada, Mexico and Venezuela and U.S. shale oil producers. Oxford Economics' Slater reckons that Saudi Arabia's intent could also be to squeeze out high cost producers over time, in the knowledge that it can withstand lower oil prices for longer. Russia and Venezuela are two countries that are considered particularly vulnerable to a sustained fall in prices as their economies are highly dependent on oil. And because their costs of production are high and baseline budget plans are considered optimistic, analysts say they stand to lose more than, say, the Gulf states [pennenergy.com]

» November 06 2014 - U.S. Election, Climate Change, Climate Science. The U.S. Election Doesn't Change Climate Science. The election may have changed the political dynamics in Washington, but it doesn't change the science. The reality of global warming and the need for urgent action remain an imperative, a point made clear by this week's alarming IPCC report. Business leaders understand this truth. Smart companies are making wise choices about their energy purchases and future operational planning in a carbon-constrained world. Major investors are seeking to move the Clean Trillion - catalyzing global clean energy investments to $1 trillion per year - from an aspiration to a reality. Both groups are also standing up for the President's Clean Power Plan, which will stimulate innovation, facilitate renewable energy deployment and demonstrate this country's firm commitment to do its part to address climate change at the global level [ceres.org]

» November 06 2014 - Nuclear Power, Nuclear Security, Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran, U.S. UN. Nuclear deal will benefit everyone: Iran UN envoy. Nuclear deal will benefit everyone: Iran UN envoy Dehqani made the remarks in an address to a UN General Assembly. Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano was present in the session. Referring to the growing need for energy across the globe and environmental threats posed to the world by fossil fuels, Dehqani underlined safety of nuclear power in the modern world. Dehqani noted that based on IAEA Charter, the UN nuclear agency is responsible to help the member states develop nuclear capability for peaceful means. He said that the rights of the signatory states to the Non-Proliferation Treaty to technical and economic development have to be respected. The Iranian envoy rejected alleged military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program, saying that Iran has no weapons program. He said that the allegations have been made without any acceptable evidence. However, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of the good faith will continue cooperation with the UN nuclear agency to remove any ambiguity about the nuclear program [irna.ir]

» November 06 2014 - Shale, Oil Prices, Drilling Activity, U.S.. The shale revolution's sweet spot is oilfield services, the lower-risk backbone of the American oil and gas boom that pays off regardless of a play's economics. Behind the stardom of the explorers and producers who have put themselves on the revolutionary shale map and absorb most of the risk-are the service providers who make up a highly lucrative market segment. The US land-based rig count rose 3% over the last quarter, reaching a two-year high of 1,870 active rigs. A major factor in this growth has been an uptick in horizontal drilling in the Permian Basin, Texas' revived giant, where the rig count was up 21% year-on-year. And while oil prices slumped in October, drilling activity continues to rise according to Baker Hughes, the third-largest oil services company. Baker Hughes' rig count is up 3.8% in the fourth quarter of this year, compared to the third quarter [oilprice.com]

» November 06 2014 - Climate Change, Responding To Climate Change. Cloud computing, big data and smartphones should be the tools of choice for green groups who want to drive global change and force business and governments to respect the environment. That's the view of one of the planet's most experienced development specialists, World Resources Institute president Andrew Steer, who thinks many organisations are too obsessed with piloting small energy or farming projects which have limited impact. In July the WRI launched a data mapping tool using technology from Google, tracking for the first time forest cover in real time. This exposed companies involved in illegal logging or farming in protected areas. Steer says his Washington-based team is now looking at how they could map water use and shortages, and roll out a platform focused on the vulnerabilities and positive policies of cities. "The stakes now are so high we have to aim for systemic change," he tells RTCC in an interview on the sidelines of a Global Environment Facility conference in the US capital. "The world is too big, time is too short and the money is too little if we are simply going to work on a project by project approach and reward ourselves for each individual pilot project looking good. The time for piloting has now ended and we need to think of scale." [rtcc.org]

» November 05 2014 - Climate Finance, Cities Energy Performance, UNEP Report. Climate finance for cities and buildings: a handbook for local governments. The objectives of this Handbook are to help raise awareness among local stakeholders regarding climate finance and its potential in the built environment, given the important role that this sector has to play in climate change mitigation. It also aims to help local governments to use climate finance mechanisms as an opportunity to increase the energy performance of their district whilst creating additional revenue, improve resource efficiency and support their wider climate strategies [unep.org]

» November 05 2014 - EU Power grid, Trans-European energy Infrastructure (TEN-E Regulation), ENTSO-E Report. The Ten-Year Network Development Plan 2014 (TYNDP) is the product of the review process of ENTSO-E TYNDP 2012. During this review process, many of the stakeholder's comments have been gathered and fed in the TYNDP 2014. For the first time, the TYNDP 2014 includes rigorous cost-benefit analyses of around 100 pan-European network development projects. This is the result of Regulation (EU) 347/2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E Regulation), entered into force in May 2013 and which made ENTSO-E's TYNDP the sole base for the selection of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs), EU-funded pan-European network development projects. The TYNDP 2014 explains how ENTSO-E proposes to integrate by 2030 up to 60% of renewable energy, respecting cost-efficiency and security by the planned strengthening of Europe’s power grid [entsoe.eu]

» November 05 2014 - Natural Gas, Gas System, EU, Winter Supply Outlook, ENTSOG. The European Network of Transmission System Operators has adopted its Winter Supply Outlook 2014/15 and the accompanying Review of Winter 2013/14. In the Winter Supply Outlook, ENTSOG analysis focuses on both the possible evolution of UGS inventory along the season and the ability of the gas system to face peak situations. The assessment covers different climatic conditions and assesses the possible impact of short disruptions of gas transit through Ukraine under peak situations. The conclusions are: The European gas network is sufficiently robust in most parts of Europe to enable the balance of demand and supply along a cold winter and under peak situations provided gas is available. It also offers the possibility to ensure sustained physical flow toward Ukraine. Nevertheless some particular situations remain such as: The vulnerability of South-East Europe to disruption of gas transit through Ukraine; The importance of interruptible capacity in order to enable the balance of Scandinavian market under peak situations; The lack of entry capacity into Luxembourg under peak situation. It has also to be noted that in these regions progress has been made since last winter with the commissioning of new projects and that the situation will continue to improve in the near future [entsog.eu]

» November 05 2014 - World Energy Outlook, IEA, CSIS. The CSIS Energy and National Security Program. Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the International Energy Agency (IEA), to present the IEA's 2014 World Energy Outlook. The global energy landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, reshaping long-held expectations for our energy future. Dr. Birol will help shed light on the rapidly evolving global energy landscape, presenting the WEO's comprehensive analysis of medium- and longer-term energy trends. This year's edition of the WEO also has a special focus on the outlook for nuclear power and its implications, and an in-depth study of sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the prospects for improving access to modern energy services and for developing the region's huge resource potential in a way that contributes not only to regional and global energy balances, but also to local and social well-being [...] This event will be on-the-record. Registration required to attend. Please send your confirmation by COB Friday, November 21st to [csis.org]

» November 05 2014 - Natural Gas, Oil, EU, Russia, Ukraine, Geopolitics. The risk of disruptions to Russian natural gas flows through Ukraine this winter is protecting European prices from the rout that sent oil to a four-year low. U.K. gas for next quarter fell 13 percent since mid-June, less than half the 28 percent plunge in Brent crude over that time. While Brent is typically the benchmark used to set the price on almost half the gas supply in Europe, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, along with supply-and-demand fundamentals in the market, is having a bigger impact on gas prices than the decline in oil. First-quarter supply interruptions are still possible as Ukraine may struggle to pay Russia $3.1 billion by year-end under an agreement brokered by the European Union last week for gas already consumed, according to Societe Generale SA. The 28-nation EU, which gets 15 percent of its fuel from Russia through Ukraine, sought to avoid repeats of 2006 and 2009, when disputes between the former Soviet republics over gas debts and prices led to shortages across the region amid freezing weather. [...] First-quarter gas in the U.K., Europe's biggest market, dropped 1.1 percent yesterday to 55.33 pence a therm ($8.85 a million British thermal units) on the ICE Futures Europe Exchange in London. Brent traded near the lowest level in four years and was at $82.50 a barrel at 12:24 p.m. Singapore time. The European gas benchmark is at its lowest for the time of year since 2010 after the region's mildest year in half a century left storage sites at record levels. Russia halted gas supplies to Ukraine on June 16, with OAO Gazprom saying Ukraine's debt stands at $5.3 billion. The cut came after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March and as a conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in the eastern part of the country killed more than 4,000 people. Brent crude started to slump in June as growth in U.S. production added to slowing demand in Europe and China. The oil slump, caused by a global oversupply as the U.S. produces the most crude since at least 1983, has the most "downside potential" on summer gas, Neviaski said. The contract for the six months from April has lost 7.4 percent since June 19, when Brent reached its highest this year [energyvoice.com]

» November 05 2014 - Climate Change, Emissions, Global Commodity Markets, Global-Supply chains, Tropical Deforestation, Center for Global Development Paper. Trading Forests: Quantifying the Contribution of Global Commodity Markets to Emissions from Tropical Deforestation. This paper aims to improve our understanding of how and where global supply-chains link consumers of agricultural and forest commodities across the world to forest destruction in tropical countries. A better understanding of these linkages can help inform and support the design of demand-side interventions to reduce tropical deforestation. To that end, we map the link between deforestation for four commodities (beef, soybeans, palm oil, and wood products) in eight case countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea) to consumption, through international trade. Although few, the studied countries comprise a large share of the internationally traded volumes of the analyzed commodities: 83% of beef and 99% of soybean exports from Latin America, 97% of global palm oil exports, and roughly half of (official) tropical wood products trade. The analysis covers the period 2000-2009. We find that roughly a third of tropical deforestation and associated carbon emissions (3.9 Mha and 1.7 GtCO2) in 2009 can be attributed to our four case commodities in our eight case countries. On average a third of analyzed deforestation was embodied in agricultural exports, mainly to the EU and China. However, in all countries but Bolivia and Brazil, export markets are dominant drivers of forest clearing for our case commodities. If one excludes Brazilian beef on average 57% of deforestation attributed to our case commodities was embodied in exports. The share of emissions that was embodied in exported commodities increased between 2000 and 2009 for every country in our study except Bolivia and Malaysia [cgdev.org]

» November 05 2014 - Unconventional Oil, US, Oil Prices, Oil Markets. Falling oil prices will have an uneven effect across US unconventional plays based on the qualities of reservoirs within any given play, Gaffney Cline & Associates (GCA) said in a recent report, noting there exists a complex relationship between the pace of shale production and falling futures prices for light, sweet crude oil. "Oil prices in the low-to-mid $80/bbl range will allow a lot of US unconventional oil activity to continue, but a further drop could start to have a significant impact on the market and industries associated with it," writes Bob George, GCA executive director and senior strategic advisor. In an article George wrote with Neil Abdalla, GCA senior geoscientist, they noted sliding oil prices have yet to reveal a direct negative effect on US unconventional oil and liquids production, which currently stands at 5 million b/d and represented 95% of US liquids growth during 2011-13. The 95% total involved production from the Bakken, Niobrara, Eagle Ford, Permian basin, and Utica-Marcellus plays. With more than half of the 9 million b/d of liquids produced in October coming from unconventional plays, George and Abdalla examined whether current drilling activity can likely be sustained and whether production growth can be maintained if oil prices continue to fall [ogj.com]

» November 05 2014 - Climate Change, Flooding Risk, UK, NAO Report. The risk of flooding is rising as a result of government funding cuts, according to a damning report from the National Audit Office (NAO), which says the cuts are a false economy. Half the nation's flood defences have been left with "minimal" maintenance, according to the spending watchdog. Flooding devastated large parts of England after record rainfall last winter and David Cameron delivered £270m of emergency funding, claiming his government was now spending more than ever before. However, the NAO concluded spending on maintenance had fallen by 6% in real terms in the five years of the coalition government. Furthermore, overall funding had fallen by 10% in real terms, said the NAO, when the one-off emergency funding was excluded. The report also found that 86% of local authorities had failed to publish their flood risk strategies despite being required to do so by ministers since 2011. Five million homes in England are at risk of flooding and the government's own assessment shows climate change is increasing the risk by driving more extreme weather. The NAO report, published on Wednesday, said every £1 spent on flood defences prevented almost £10 in damage. The report noted: "Ad-hoc emergency spending is less good value than sustained maintenance [theguardian.com]

» November 04 2014 - Natural Gas, OPAL pipeline, EU, Russia, Germany, Gazprom. The European Commission further postponed from the end of October to the end of January the deadline for taking a decision on OPAL. European authorities have to decide whether to grant Gazprom more access to the gas pipeline across Germany. The Russian company has reduced access to the pipeline, but no other company voiced its interest to take up the spare capacity. "The Commission has agreed with the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) to prolong the deadline for issuing a decision on OPAL. The reason ... is that certain technical aspects require further attention," a Commission official said to Reuters. The comment is in line with previous declarations of Gazprom's spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov, who recently said that the company is initiating new talks with the new European Commission. European authorities have to decided whether to grant OPAL an exemption from the Third Energy Package [naturalgaseurope.com]

» November 04 2014 - Climate Change, Global Migration, Threat Multiplier, US, UE. On Sunday, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest report, reiterating, for those who haven't yet noticed, that we are on the brink of epochal changes driven by climate change, and that we must act now to avoid the worst impacts. The IPCC report is a welcome distraction from the recent hysterical series of immigration-related news headlines. However, the reality is that both climate change and immigration are inextricably linked. The truth is that if you are worried about migration then you ought to be terrified of what is happening to the global climate. In addition to increasing the devastation caused by extreme weather events including storms, floods, droughts and fires, climate change will affect water supplies, crops and livestock, ultimately affecting food security. For many, the only solution is to move. Pentagon and NATO military analysts identify climate change as a "threat multiplier" that increases the chances of conflict and will result in large-scale migration. Just how many climate refugees will be banging on the doors of Europe and the United States is difficult to calculate although estimates range from 25 million to 1 billion by 2050 [independent.co.uk]

» November 04 2014 - Oil prices, US Oil Production, US Gasoline, WTI, Brent, US Crude Oil Exports Limitations, EIA Report. U.S. gasoline prices move with Brent rather than WTI crude oil. Recent increases in U.S. crude oil production have sparked discussion on how this increase in supply will be used by U.S. refiners given current limitations on exporting domestic crude. On October 30, EIA released a study that explored the relationships between crude oil and gasoline prices. Key findings from the analysis include: Prices of Brent crude oil, an international benchmark, are more important than the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a domestic benchmark, for determining gasoline prices in all four U.S. regions studied, including the Midwest. The effect that a relaxation of current limitations on U.S. crude oil exports would have on U.S. gasoline prices depends on its effect on international crude prices, such as Brent, rather than its effect on domestic crude prices. Gasoline is a globally traded commodity, and prices are highly correlated across global spot markets. Gasoline supply, demand, and trade in various regions are changing; one effect is that U.S. Gulf Coast and Chicago spot gasoline prices, which are closely linked, are now often the lowest in the world during fall and winter months. A change in current limitations on crude oil exports could have implications for both domestic and international crude oil prices. Such a relaxation could raise the prices of domestically produced oil. If higher prices for domestic crude were to spur additional U.S. production than might otherwise occur, the increase to global crude oil supply could reduce the global price of crude. The extent to which domestic crude prices might rise, and global crude prices might fall, depends on a host of factors, including the degree to which current export limitations affect prices received by domestic producers, the sensitivity of future domestic production to prices changes, the ability of domestic refiners to absorb domestic production, and the reaction of key foreign producers to changes in the level of U.S. crude production [eia.gov]

» November 04 2014 - Climate Change, IPPC Synthesis Report, Energy Research. Panel's Latest Warming Warning Misses Global Slumber Party on Energy Research. The year-long rollout of the latest assessment of climate change science and solutions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ended [...] in Copenhagen with the release of a final synthesis report offering an overview of the world's climate trajectories and choices. This report cuts across the earlier panel reviews of basic climate science and related economic, technical and policy questions to identify overarching themes. There's much that's valuable, if familiar, including a recitation of ways to limit the buildup of greenhouse gases: More efficient use of energy; Greater use of low-carbon and no-carbon energy (Many of these technologies exist today); Improved carbon sinks (Reduced deforestation and improved forest management and planting of new forests, Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage); Lifestyle and behavioural changes. But there's also much that is important but largely missing. Look a little closer at the second of four steps above: "Greater use of low-carbon and no-carbon energy; many of these technologies exist today." The new synthesis tends to echo the panel's earlier reports on global warming mitigation options, implying that a price on carbon and some shifts in policy (subsidies, for instance) are all that's needed for an swift and affordable transition from conventional use of fossil fuels. But without a substantial boost in basic research and development and large-scale demonstration projects related to technologies like mass energy storage, capturing and storing carbon dioxide, grid management and a new generation of nuclear plants, it's hard to see timely progress. In all of the graphics and take-home points in the panel's synthesis effort, the only language I can find on these points is turgid and buried. [...] In the long slide presentation shown at the Copenhagen release, somehow the panel failed to fit in a single graph like this one from the International Energy Agency showing how utterly inconsequential energy research is in advanced democracies (the O.E.C.D.) compared to budgets for science on other things we care about [nytimes.com]

» November 03 2014 - Clean Energy Technologies, Clean Energy Investment, Developing Nations, OECD Nations, Climate Scope 2014 Report. Mapping the Global Frontiers for Clean Energy Investment. For years, it has been widely accepted that only the world's wealthiest nations have the means to enjoy the benefits of zerocarbon emitting sources of energy. Developing nations, it was assumed, could afford only fossil generation. This belief guided numerous investment decisions and policies. It has even shaped the dynamics of international climate talks. But green technologies have come a long way, and clean energy technologies are no longer out of reach for developing countries, which are home to some of the most extraordinary wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, large and small hydro, and other natural resources [...] Climatescope surveyed and analyzed 55 important developing nations to understand market conditions for accommodating the growth of the most innovative clean energy technologies, such as solar (photovoltaics and concentrating), wind, biomass, geothermal, and small hydro (projects smaller than 50MW). The report focused particularly on India and China where 10 states and 15 provinces were examined in greater detail [...] The Climatescope nations represent over half the world's population and approximately a quarter of its GDP. Among the key findings: Demand for electricity overall is growing swiftly in the Climatescope nations. From 2008 through 2013, these countries added 603 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity (roughly three times Russia's current capacity), growing their grids by nearly a third to 2,013GW. By comparison, over the same period OECD nations added 258GW and grew by 9.6 percent to 2,887GW. Demand for clean energy is growing even faster in these countries than in the most developed nations. From 2008 through 2013, Climatescope nations added 142GW (more than France's current total capacity) of new, non-large hydro renewables capacity, representing a 143 percent growth rate. OECD nations also saw strong growth, adding 213GW over those five years or 84 percent more non-large hydro clean energy than in 2008. On a percentage basis, new non-large hydro clean energy has been growing at a quicker clip in Climatescope countries (18.8 percent per year, on average, since 2008) than in OECD countries (12.8 percent). In fact, in 2013 on a volume basis, Climatescope countries added nearly as much capacity (37GW) as OECD nations (43GW). Counting large hydro as an additional source of zerocarbon energy, Climatescope nations now have 666GW installed capacity compared to 806GW in OECD countries. Moreover, in Climatescope nations, renewables (including large hydro) actually represent a larger percentage of total capacity than they do in OECD countries [global-climatescope.org]

» November 03 2014 - Energy Policy, Fossil Fuel, Renewable Energy. How Global Fossil Fuel Dependence Hasn't Changed In 20 Years. [...] I decided to dig deeper into the success of Green energy policies to date. Roger Andrews produced this chart the other day and the low carbon energy trends caught my eye. It is important to recall that well over $1,700,000,000,000 ($1.7 trillion) has been spent on installing wind and solar devices in recent years with the sole objective of reducing global CO2 emissions. It transpires that since 1995 low carbon energy sources (nuclear, hydro and other renewables) share of global energy consumption has not changed at all. New renewables have not even replaced lost nuclear generating capacity since 1999. ZERO CO2 has been abated and the world has done zilch to prepare itself for the expected declines (escalating costs) of fossil fuels in the decades ahead. If this is not total policy failure, what is? [oilprice.com]

» November 03 2014 - Oil Production, Gas Production, Falling Prices. ExxonMobil Corp.'s refining and chemical operations rescued the company's third-quarter results amid falling global oil prices and lower oil and gas production. Exxon, the biggest U.S. oil company, posted a surprise increase in profit thanks to a 38 percent increase in profit from turning oil and gas into fuels and chemicals. "There's a reason Exxon is viewed as a safe haven in energy, and it's because it is diversified," said Brian Youngberg, an analyst at Edward Jones. "It can weather low oil prices." The company said Friday that it earned $8.07 billion on revenue of $107.49 billion in the third quarter. Last year during the same period, Exxon earned $7.87 billion on revenue of $112.37 billion. On a per share basis, the company earned $1.89, up from $1.79 last year and far above the $1.71 per share analysts polled by FactSet had predicted on average. Exxon's oil and gas production fell 4.7 percent compared with the same period a year ago, driven mostly by lower natural gas production and the expiration earlier this year of Exxon's rights to production at a field in Abu Dhabi. Exxon's output has been slipping for years. Its production of the equivalent of 3.83 million barrels of oil per day in the quarter was the company's lowest since the third quarter of 2009 [pennenergy.com]

» November 03 2014 - Clean Energy, Clean Technology, Patents. Clean energy patents hit an all time high in the second quarter of 2014. Solar patents again led Fuel Cell patents and all other technologies in what has become a pattern the booming solar sector. Toyota and GM again traded places at the top of the patent owner chart with Toyota taking the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown back from GM. The US led all countries in granted US clean energy patents [renewableenergyworld.com]

» November 03 2014 - Oil Market, Oil Prices. Why oil prices diclined now and where they go from here. After three years of eerie calm in the oil market volatility has returned with a vengeance. With prices down $20 in the past few months it seems the market is ignoring the wars in the Iraq, Syria, and Libya. Normally any one of those would be enough to at least keep prices up if not rising. So is it the rise of US production? Domestic production has been rapidly rising for the past three years and is making new records each month. What about the reduced expectations for demand growth in China? Well those are both having an impact, but neither were the tipping point that brought volatility and lower prices back to the market. We can thank two big factors for providing a economic stimulus to the US economy that is actually bigger than the $787 package the Obama administration promoted and passed in 2009. FuelFix summarized a great report from Citigroup about this. Oil-Prices_FuelFIX Citigroup estimates the stimulus impact of oil prices that are now down by 20% to be $1.1 Trillion dollars. If that number isn't mind numbing enough, try this one, $1.8 billion in savings per day. The first and single biggest factor is a familiar one, Saudi Arabia. Once the Saudi's signaled that they would accept significantly lower prices on October 1st the race to $80 and potentially lower was on. The Kuwaiti's quickly moved to support the move by the Saudi's signaling on October 14th that they would follow the Saudi move down. The next OPEC meeting is on Nov 27th so we will surely learn more then, but I do not expect production cuts coming out of that meeting unless we see price declines below $75 before the meeting takes place. The second big factor is the rising dollar [thinkingonenergy.com]

» November 02 2014 - Climate Change, Global Warming, IPCC Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report. Observed changes in the climate system. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface than any preceding decade since 1850. The period from 1983 to 2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years in the Northern Hemisphere, where such assessment is possible (medium confidence). The globally averaged combined land and ocean surface temperature data as calculated by a linear trend, show a warming of 0.85 [0.65 to 1.06] ºC over the period 1880 to 2012, when multiple independently produced datasets exist [...] Causes of climate change. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the pre-industrial era, driven largely by economic and population growth, and are now higher than ever. This has led to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that are unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. Their effects, together with those of other anthropogenic drivers, have been detected throughout the climate system and are extremely likely to have been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since the pre-industrial era have driven large increases in the atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O. Between 1750 and 2011, cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere were 2040 ± 310 GtCO2. About 40% of these emissions have remained in the atmosphere (880 ± 35 GtCO2); the rest was removed from the atmosphere and stored on land (in plants and soils) and in the ocean. The ocean has absorbed about 30% of the emitted anthropogenic CO2, causing ocean acidification. About half of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions between 1750 and 2011 have occurred in the last 40 years (high confidence) [ipcc.ch]

» October 31 2014 - Oil prices, forecast, OPEC, Shale-Oil Drillers, Goldman Sachs, Geopolitics. The news just became worse for Iran, Russia and Venezuela, and better for motorists around the world: Another big Wall Street voice has weighed in with a forecast of long-term lower oil prices-below what these three nations require to balance their budgets. Oil prices have been plunging for more than six weeks now, falling more than 20% off their highs of about $115 in June. But in what it calls "The New Oil Order," Goldman Sachs says that US shale-oil drillers have become so potent that they have supplanted OPEC as the reigning global powerhouse. These shale drillers, and not the Saudi-led cartel, will for some time govern oil prices, the bank says in an Oct. 26 note to clients. As a first order of business, says Goldman, internationally traded Brent crude will drop to $80 a barrel the second quarter of next year, 30% below the price just five months ago. The pronouncement comes on top of a series of similar notes from Citi. But as another establishment bank coming to the same conclusion, Goldman spooked traders, who at the end of last week pushed prices back up a bit but yesterday resumed their oil selloff. They bid Brent down to $85.37 a barrel [qz.com]

» October 31 2014 - Natural Gas, Russia-Ukraine Deal, UE. Russia has agreed to resume gas supplies to Ukraine over the winter in a deal brokered by the European Union. The deal will also ensure gas supplies to EU countries via Ukraine are secure. "There is now no reason for people in Europe to stay cold this winter," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. European Union energy chief Guenther Oettinger said he was confident that Ukraine would be able to afford to pay for the gas it needed. He added that the agreement might be the "first glimmer" of hope in easing tensions between Russian and Ukraine. [...] The deal follows months of talks between EU officials and the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers. The terms include the EU acting as guarantor for Ukraine's gas purchases from Russia and helping to meet outstanding debts. The total package is worth $4.6bn (£2.87bn), with money coming from the International Monetary Fund as well as the EU. The total includes funds from existing accords with the EU and IMF. "Unprecedented levels of EU aid will be disbursed in a timely manner, and the International Monetary Fund has reassured Ukraine that it can use all financial means at its disposal to pay for gas," the EC said in a statement. "Further work with the international financial institutions on financial assistance to Ukraine, also in relation to gas supplies, will still continue. But all three sides are reassured that Ukraine will have the necessary financial means." [bbc.com]

» October 31 2014 - Energy Efficiency, IEA Report. The CSIS Energy and National Security Program is pleased to host Philippe Benoit, Head of the Energy Efficiency and Environment Division at the IEA, to discuss the IEA's recently released inaugural Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014. The report finds that the global energy efficiency market is worth at least $310 billion a year and is expected to grow. The annual report from the International Energy Agency, now in its second year, confirms the position of energy efficiency as the “first fuel” in the IEA's largest economies. Mr. Benoit will also present a related IEA study, Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency, which shows that the benefits of energy efficiency go well beyond the simple scaling back of energy demand. The study reframes the discussion about energy efficiency and shows how it has the potential to support economic growth, enhance social development, advance environmental sustainability, ensure energy-system security and help build wealth. 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Thursday, November 13th, 2014. This event will be on-the-record. Registration required to attend. Please send your confirmation by COB Wednesday, November 12th to energy@csis.org [csis.org]

» October 31 2014 - Renewable Energy, Biomass, IRENA. Biomass moves into modernity. Throughout the world at least 2.6 billion people lack access to modern fuels for cooking and heating, relying instead on traditional biomass to meet those vital energy needs. "Traditional biomass", International Energy Agency (IEA) refers to consumption of such resources in the residential sector, typically in developing countries, through the often-unsustainable use of wood, charcoal, agricultural residues or animal dung for cooking and heating [...] However, the future role of bioenergy in the world's energy supply is promising, with many organisations, including IRENA, foreseeing a major role for modern, sustainable biomass and biofuel technologies. Around 80% of all renewable energy use (in final energy terms) came from biomass in 2010. Most of this was traditional use, which accounted for half of the World's total renewable energy use according to the IEA. The technologies already exist for biomass to replace conventional energy in an affordable and sustainable manner, and this could lead to significant changes in biomass practices worldwide. One scenario outlined in REmap 2030, IRENA's global renewable energy roadmap, predicts that 30% of total world biomass could be used for power and district heat generation, 30% for liquid biofuels production and the remainder for cooking, heating, and building and industrial uses. This transition depends on increased use of liquid biofuels together with combined heat and power (CHP) in the electricity and industrial sectors, along with the steady reduction of traditional uses of biomass [irena.org]

» October 31 2014 - Natural Gas, Russia, Ukraine, UE, Gazprom. The deadline for Ukraine to repay the remaining gas debt is not stipulated in an interim deal reached between Moscow and Kiev, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said on Friday. A corresponding decision will be made by the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal [...] Russian natural gas deliveries to Ukraine will resume 48 hours after Kiev repays the first $1.45 billion portion of its gas debt and makes an advance payment, Miller said. "Two days after the terms of the agreement signed on October 30 are fulfilled, the deliveries will be resumed," the Gazprom CEO said [itar-tass.com]

» October 31 2014 - Climate Change, Artic Sea-Ice Decline, Severe Winters, Nature Geoscience. Over the past decade, severe winters occurred frequently in mid-latitude Eurasia, despite increasing global- and annual-mean surface air temperatures. Observations suggest that these cold Eurasian winters could have been instigated by Arctic sea-ice decline, through excitation of circulation anomalies similar to the Arctic Oscillation. In climate simulations, however, a robust atmospheric response to sea-ice decline has not been found, perhaps owing to energetic internal fluctuations in the atmospheric circulation. Here we use a 100-member ensemble of simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model driven by observation-based sea-ice concentration anomalies to show that as a result of sea-ice reduction in the Barents-Kara Sea, the probability of severe winters has more than doubled in central Eurasia. In our simulations, the atmospheric response to sea-ice decline is approximately independent of the Arctic Oscillation. Both reanalysis data and our simulations suggest that sea-ice decline leads to more frequent Eurasian blocking situations, which in turn favour cold-air advection to Eurasia and hence severe winters. Based on a further analysis of simulations from 22 climate models we conclude that the sea-ice-driven cold winters are unlikely to dominate in a warming future climate, although uncertainty remains, due in part to an insufficient ensemble size [nature.com]

» October 30 2014 - Oil, Offshore, Oil Spill Response, Eni, Norway. Eni Norge will buy in training for staff from what it believes is the world's first centre providing instruction for oil spill response in total darkness, which it says will be vital for recovery operations in northern waters. The Norwegian subsidiary of the Italian oil giant Eni has entered into a spill contingency training agreement with the Nordkapp Maritime Training Centre in Honningsvag, Norway. The centre will be the first in the world to use simulators for oil recovery training in "conditions of darkness," the firm said in a statement. It added that the centre has state-of-the-art simulators to mimic a variety of demanding conditions. Eni said this will be vital for its work on the Goliat field development, in the Barents Sea. Located 85km northwest of Hammerfest, Norway (latitude 61 North), the field sees no sunshine during winter months [decomworld.com]

» October 30 2014 - Oil and Gas, Mining. Right and Resources Report. In a new analysis of almost 73,000 concessions in eight tropical forested countries, more than 93% of these developments were found to involve land inhabited by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This report, prepared by The Munden Project, highlights the alarming amount of land that governments have handed over to the private sector for mining, logging, agriculture, oil and gas, including 40% of all land in Peru and 30% in Indonesia. According to Communities as Counterparties: Preliminary Review of Concessions and Conflict in Emerging and Frontier Markets, these concessions often generate conflict with local communities [rightsandresources.org]

» October 30 2014 - Climate Negotiations, BRICS, G7, G20, E7. The current impasse in the climate negotiations provides an unprecedented opportunity for the BRICS countries to re-frame a global challenge that has divided countries for the last 20 years. In an increasingly interdependent world for growing economies an agreement is more important for their social and economic development than for the industrialised countries. The political divide focuses on whether it is time to end the differentiation between developed and developing countries. The existing division of countries in the Convention follows the United Nations classification, based on per-capita incomes, and a change must be considered in the United Nations because of the implications for other areas, including the trade regime [indiaenvironmentportal.org.in]

» October 30 2014 - Oil, Iran, Geopolitcs. Iran's revenue from crude sales, the OPEC member's biggest export, dropped 30 percent because of the recent decline in global oil prices [...] "International conditions are such that the country's main source of income, i.e. oil revenues, has been cut by some 30 percent," Rouhani said in remarks to parliament published yesterday on Shana, the Oil Ministry's news website. "We have to deal with the new conditions and the global economic conditions." Brent crude, a benchmark for more than half of the world's oil, has plunged more than 20 percent since peaking in June at about $115 a barrel as supply, boosted by U.S. shale production, outpaced demand. Iran needs to achieve a break-even sales price of $143 a barrel this year to maintain its fiscal balance, according to data compiled by Bloomberg [energyvoice.com]

» October 30 2014 - Oil, Azerbaijan Production. The Azerbaijan government estimates oil production may decrease in 2015, continuing declines seen this year, Reuters reported. Oil output may be reduced by 2.5 percent in 2015 compared to this year. Oil operator BP cut its oil production estimate for this year at Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) oilfields, citing necessary maintenance work at the Central Azeri and West Azeri platforms. A source close to the government told Reuters that oil output could reach 40.62 million tons in 2015, down from this year, which is expected to end with 41.65 million tons. The report suggests that production may hit its peak in 2014. While output is expected to increase to 40.77 million tons in 2016, it may experience declines the following two years. Despite the report that oil production will fall next year, BP said its oil output increased last year to 43.15 million tons. The company is also working through its Azerbaijan International Operating Company to build a pipeline system to deliver natural gas from Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to customers in Europe [pennenergy.com]

» October 30 2014 - Oil, Oil and Gas Industry, US. Driven by a rise in billion-dollar deals, midstream activity, and interest in upstream shale plays from foreign buyers, mergers and acquisitions in the US oil and gas industry reached the highest levels in the past decade during the third quarter, according to a quarterly report from PwC US Energy Practice. During the 3-month period ending Sept. 30, 78 oil and gas deals with values of more than $50 million took place, accounting for $123 billion in total value, compared with 43 deals worth just $16.4 billion in last year's third quarter. That represents 649% growth in total deal value. For further comparison, second-quarter volume totaled 65 deals and value totaled $48.9 billion (OGJ Online, July 30, 2014). Notably, fourteen megadeals occurred during the third quarter, representing $103.5 billion. Foreign buyers, which took part in the most deals in the last 5 years, announced 17 deals during this year's third quarter, accounting for $22.1 billion in value, an increase over 9 deals worth $2.8 billion during the same period last year. Volume and value of foreign deals, on a sequential basis, increased a respective 70% and 103% from this year’s second quarter. "This extraordinary deal activity occurred while commodity prices declined sharply during the quarter-a trend that accelerated in the first half of October," [...] Fifteen midstream deals occurred during the quarter, including three valued at more than $8 billion each that contributed $74.1 billion in value. That represents 517% growth in deal value vs. the second quarter. Upstream deals accounted for 54% of total deal activity in the third quarter, with 42 transactions representing $29.4 billion. The total number of downstream deals was unchanged at nine, but total deal value decreased to $8.4 billion. During the second quarter, downstream deals totaled $9.3 billion. The number of oil field services deals increased to 12, with total value rising 313% to $11.1 billion compared with the second quarter. Master limited partnerships (MLPs) were involved in 14 transactions, representing 18% of total deal activity in the quarter, consistent with historical levels [...] As with previous quarters, deals targeting shale plays represented almost half of all deal activity, with 36 deals taking place totaling $26.6 billion. Upstream shale deals represented 28 transactions and accounted for $23.1 billion. There were five midstream shale-related deals accounting for $2.5 billion. No midstream deals took place in last year's third quarter. Seven deals occurred in the Eagle Ford totaling $1.8 billion-the most of all the major US shale plays. The Bakken followed with six deals totaling $8.6 billion, the highest sum of the group. Five deals worth $7.8 billion took place in the Permian. The Marcellus had four deals valued at $1.1 billion, and the Niobrara had three deals worth $2.4 billion. The Utica generated two deals, while the Haynesville and Fayetteville each generated one deal [ogj.com]

» October 29 2014 - Oil Prices, Saudi Arabian Oil Policy, Shale Texas oil boom/bust, Fossil Fuel Divestment. In one of the more honest assessments of current Saudi Arabian oil policy, Rice University's Jim Krane said there are several plausible reasons behind the Saudis' apparently sanguine approach to falling global oil prices, but only a few within the Kingdom really know. "If you're somebody who looks at geopolitics and energy, you could come up with any number of ways or any number of reasons why the Saudis are not doing what they would usually do," says Krane. "There [are] lots of good reasons for them to keep on producing, but exactly why they're doing it probably only a few dozen people in Saudi Arabia know that," he adds. [NPR] Municipalities located in the heart of the Texas oil boom are not overly concerned about recent oil price declines. "Busts famously follow booms, but economists and industry experts say towns atop Texas' biggest drilling zones probably aren't looking at the beginning of a bust - at least not yet. In the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford, operators have poured billions of dollars into pipelines and other infrastructure, so they're not likely to walk away unless things get much worse." [Texas Tribune] Fossil fuel divestment backers are not saying "I told you so" yet, but some are hinting at that view. Lower oil prices, they say, are forcing companies to reconsider expensive dividend and share buy-back programs, which are some of the things that make oil equities attractive to investors. "If oil prices stay low for a sustained period like during the last recession, the resulting earnings hit could jeopardize those programs, according to Flynn of the Price Futures Group. Those programs are a big reason oil stocks are a staple in investment portfolios." [Inside Climate News] [breakingenergy.com]

» October 29 2014 - Climate Change, Energy, Industry, EU, EEA. Policies put the EU on track to meet its 2020 climate and energy targets but bigger push needed for 2030. European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions fell almost 2% between 2012 and 2013, putting the EU very close to its 2020 reduction target, according to new analysis from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The EU is also on track to meet two other targets to boost renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2020 [...] Beyond 2020. Last week, European heads of state and government agreed new headline targets for 2030, reducing greenhouse gases emissions by at least 40 % from 1990 levels, increasing renewable energy to make up at least 27 % of final energy consumption and a minimum 27 % reduction in energy consumption compared to business-as-usual. The current projections for 2030 indicate that further efforts are required at national and EU level to keep the EU on track towards its new 2030 targets, as well as its longer term objectives to decarbonise the European energy system and cut EU's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 % by 2050. [eea.europa.eu]

» October 29 2014 - Natural Gas, Geopolitics, EU, US, Russia. When the Ukraine crisis broke out threatening to compromise Europe's energy supply from Russia, many American politicians and pundits called for the United States to expedite exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to help bolster European energy security. Speaker of the House John Boehner opined in The Wall Street Journal, "America not only has a right to develop and market its natural resources. In the face of rising danger, it has an obligation to do so." Never mind that the United States won't have its first LNG export terminal in operation until late 2015 at the very earliest; that much of its approved gas exports are already committed to long-term contracts in Asia; and that Ukraine as well as most European countries under the Kremlin's boot do not have the terminals for receiving LNG [naturalgaseurope.com]

» October 29 2014 - Energy, Oil, Petrodollar, Geopolitics, US, Russia, China. The End Of An Era: Is The US Petrodollar Under Threat?. Recent trade deals and high-level cooperation between Russia and China have set off alarm bells in the West as policymakers and oil and gas executives watch the balance of power in global energy markets shift to the East. The reasons for the cozier relationship between the two giant powers are, of course, rooted in the Ukraine crisis and subsequent Western sanctions against Russia, combined with China's need to secure long-term energy supplies. However, a consequence of closer economic ties between Russia and China could also mean the beginning of the end of dominance for the U.S. dollar, and that could have a profound impact on energy markets [oilprice.com]

» October 29 2014 - Natural Gas, United Arab Emirates. Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE), owned 100% by the government of Dubai and responsible for Dubai's offshore oil and gas development and production, has identified what it calls significant volumes of gas in its T-02 deep gas exploration well. The high-pressure/high-temperature T-02 well was drilled to 18,248 ft (5,562 m) into the Pre Khuff formation and is the deepest well in Dubai to date. The well is in the offshore Fateh field. The new well has been wireline logged to evaluate the potential of the formations, and there are some 390 ft (119 m) of gas-rich zones out of the 900 ft (274 m) drilled and logged in the Pre Khuff formation. The well is being suspended for later re-entry, stimulation, and long-term production testing. Until testing is completed, potential reserves and possible production rates cannot be estimated accurately. The planned production testing procedures require the use of specialist items and equipment that have long lead times for delivery. DPE expects to have test results in late summer 2015 [offshore-mag.com]

» October 28 2014 - Natural Gas, Iran, Turkmenistan, Geopolitics. Iran will extract 20 mcm of gas from its Sarajeh and Shorijeh storage facilities as of mid-October for the country's winter consumption, a senior official at the Natural Gas Storage Company (NGSC) said on Tuesday [...] Iran will be able to pass behind the winter consumption climax by launching and operating the facilities in Shourijeh and importing gas from Turkmenistan. Iran has a contract to import 40 mcm/d of gas from Turkmenistan while the latter only delivers 23 to 24 mcm/d. Iran has become one of the five leading countries with underground natural gas storage facilities and the largest in the Middle East region [irna.ir]

» October 28 2014 - Carbon Leakage, Climate Change, EU, ETS. The European Commission adopted today the list of industry sectors and subsectors that are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage for the period 2015 to 2019. After the positive opinion of the Climate Change Committee (in which all Member States are represented), and with no objection raised by either the European Parliament or the Council during the three-month scrutiny period, the European Commission adopted today the list of industry sectors and subsectors that are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage for the period 2015 to 2019. No further changes were made to the draft list that had been published on 5 May 2014. Industry sectors and sub-sectors deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of 'carbon leakage' receive a higher share of free allowances because they face competition from industries in third countries which are not subject to comparable greenhouse gas emissions restrictions. This second carbon leakage list provides regulatory predictability for industry for the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019 and succeeds the first carbon leakage list that is still valid until 31 December 2014. According to the ETS Directive, it will be possible to add further sectors to the list if they comply with the criteria stated in [ec.europa.eu]

» October 28 2014 - Oil, Natural Gas, Offshore, Subsea Environment Integrity, DecomWorld Technical Paper. Subsea Integrity Market Insight: Challenges & Opportunities. Faults and failures across the subsea system have huge cost, safety and production implications in the highly complex and remote subsea environment - understanding the condition and performance of critical assets as part of a proactive subsea integrity strategy is the only way to eradicate such failures and deliver greater production uptime [decomworld.com]

» October 28 2014 - Oil, Natural Gas, Weak Oil Prices, UK. BG Group Plc said third-quarter profit slumped 29%, missing analyst estimates, on weak oil prices and lower production. Profit excluding disposals and one-time items dropped to $759million from $1.07billion a year earlier, the UK's third-largest natural-gas producer said today in a statement. That missed the $809million average of nine analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Higher Brazil oil volumes were mostly offset by lower output in Egypt and Kazakhstan and falling prices, it said. Oil prices have tanked since July as production from US shale fields boomed and the world economy slowed. The price of Brent crude, a global benchmark, averaged $103.46 a barrel in the third quarter, 6.6% less than in the same period in 2013. It's down more than 20 percent this year. Reading, England-based BG slid 0.55 to 1,038 pence by 8:40 a.m. in London, bringing losses this year to 20%. Output fell 2% to the equivalent of 569,000 barrels of oil a day in the quarter, while operating profit from the liquefied natural gas business sank 4% to $576million [energyvoice.com]

» October 28 2014 - Natural Gas, Geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, UE. EU energy commissioner, Ukraine energy minister discuss forthcoming tripartite gas talks. European energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger and Ukraine's Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuri Prodan had a telephone conversation on Monday to discuss aspects of the forthcoming tripartite gas talks due in Brussels on October 29, a spokesman for the European Commission told TASS. According to TASS information, the sides discussed issues of financial guarantees to Ukraine to pay for Russian gas supplies in November-December 2014. The spokesman however refused to elaborate whether any agreement on that matter had been reached, saying only that preparatory work for the tripartite talls was underway. After the previous tripartite gas talks in Brussels on October 21, Oettinger admitted that Ukraine needed from one to two billion U.S. dollars to be able to pay for Russian gas [itar-tass.com]

» October 27 2014 - Climate Change, Low Carbon, Resilient Development, World Bank free e-Course. Policy Instruments for Low Emissions Development: From Design to Implementation. Dates: November 10, 2014 - November 28, 2014. As the world seeks to enhance global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts, countries are exploring innovative and cost-effective ways to scale-up emissions reductions and foster private sector investment. A range of policy instruments such as voluntary, regulatory and market-based approaches can help achieve these goals.This course will assist you to plan, design and implement these policy instruments to help spur your country into a low emissions development path. The course starts by discussing the rationale for Low Emissions Development (LED) policy and the expected benefits of such policies. The discussion considers both contributions to global emissions reductions and local development opportunities such as: Increased energy security by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and exposure to volatile prices. Increased industrial productivity as a consequence of energy efficiency measures. New economic opportunities and employment through deployment and diffusion of low carbon technologies. Reduced costs of environmental degradation. [einstitute.worldbank.org]

» October 27 2014 - Oil market, crude stocks, US. US crude stocks likely rose 2.8 million barrels last week. US commercial crude stocks are expected to have increased 2.8 million barrels in the reporting week that ended October 24, according to a Platts analysis and survey of oil analysts Monday. The American Petroleum Institute will release its weekly stocks data at 4:30 pm EDT (2030 GMT) Tuesday and the US Energy Information Administration is scheduled to release its weekly data at 10:30 am EDT (1430 GMT) Wednesday. The EIA five-year average shows inventories typically rising 1.9 million barrels this reporting week. Refineries tend to enter into maintenance when summer driving season concludes, causing stocks to accumulate through late October, stabilize for a few weeks, and then draw down as demand returns in mid-November. US crude stocks are well supplied by recent historical standards. Crude inventory rose 7.1 million barrels in the week ending October 17. At 377.7 million barrels, crude stocks were 5.3% above the EIA five-year average (2009-3). Analysts expect US refinery utilization rates to have increased 0.22 percentage point to 86.9%. EIA data showed US refinery runs at 15.2 million b/d for the reporting week that ended October 17. The last time refineries processed more than 15 million b/d for the same reporting week was in October 2003 [platts.com]

» October 27 2014 - Wind Energy, GWEC Outlook. Global Wind Energy Outlook: 2000 gigawatts by 2030. The Global Wind Energy Council and Greenpeace International released the 2014 edition of the Global Wind Energy Outlook in Beijing today. The report shows that wind power could reach 2,000 GW by 2030, and supply up to 17-19% of global electricity, creating over 2 million new jobs and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 3 billion tonnes per year. By 2050, wind power could provide 25-30% of global electricity supply. The new report presents three visions of the future of the global wind energy industry out to 2020, 2030 and up to 2050. The scenarios compare the International Energy Agency's central scenario from its World Energy Outlook with a 'Moderate' and 'Advanced' scenario developed especially for this report, detailing how the global wind industry might deliver in terms of global electricity supply, CO2 emission savings, employment, cost reductions, and investment [gwec.net]

» October 27 2014 - Green Economy, climate change, Countries Performance, Dual Citizen Report. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index (GGEI). This 4th edition of the GGEI is an in-depth look at how 60 countries perform in the global green economy, as well as how expert practitioners rank this performance. Like many indices, the GGEI is a communications tool, signaling to policy makers, international organizations, the private sector and citizens which countries are successfully orienting their economies toward greener growth pathways and which ones are not. Importantly, the GGEI also generates perception values, offering unique insights into how communications and information exchange can be leveraged to further advance green economic growth. [...] The graph titled "Climate vs. Green Economy" [...] compares the top country performers in the GGEI to the top country performers from Germanwatch's 2014 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) [dualcitizeninc.com]

» October 27 2014 - Coal, Energy Transition, Global Energy System, Climate Change, China, ASEAN Countries, Australia. The University of Queensland Energy Initiative, in canvassing the "energy-prosperity-climate dilemma" in its latest newsletter, has some eye-opening data on the current role of coal in global energy use. Looking at 2013, the obvious starting point is that overall energy consumption worldwide grew 2.3 per cent. Fossil fuels not only accounted for 86.7 per cent of what was used, but three-quarters of last year's increase. No-one will be surprised to hear that the growth is dominantly in the non-OECD countries, or that China is still a massive presence in surging energy use. But, as the UQ Energy Initiative points out, the much less heralded story is what is happening in the ASEAN countries and South Asia. Over the past three years, it says, coal consumption has grown by nearly 25 per cent in India and 22 per cent in ASEAN countries versus just under 20 per cent in China. "Though they may be coming from a lower starting point, these countries represent a massive population base -- more than 1.25 billion in India and 600 million in the ASEAN nations -- whose appetite for energy is only just beginning." The hard truth, as UQ Energy Initiative reports it, is that the combined global increase in zero-emission electricity supply -- from renewable energy and nuclear plants - was only 7 per cent in these 36 months. "In fact," it adds, "the growth in primary energy from all near-zero carbon energy sources over three years globally was just 30 per cent of the incremental energy from coal in the Asia-Pacific region alone." Top dog in this, of course, is China, which has added new coal-fired power generation capacity equivalent to or greater than Australia's total installed capacity every year for 10 years. In 2013, says UQ, it increased its coal consumption four per cent to 3.7 billion tonnes, roughly half the global consumption of the fuel and more than 10 times Australia's coal exports [businessspectator.com.au]

» October 27 2014 - Energy Transition, Global Energy System, Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Global Green Growth Forum (3GF), Maria van der Hoeven Speech - Executive Director, IEA. The Role of Electricity in Transforming the Global Energy System. The good news is that globally, the IEA's Energy Technology Perspectives 2014's two degrees scenario, or 2DS, confirms that with the right choices, global population and economic growth can be decoupled from energy demand, even for oil. As you can see, a significant part of this decoupling will come through increases in energy efficiency. While it is true that energy savings can result in greater consumption of energy services - the so-called rebound effect - this ignores the positive benefits. When a poor family can save on heating bills, it has more money to spend on other activities, for example on a home computer. This isn't a bad thing. When industries become more efficient, they may become more competitive and increase production. In fact, when we speak to some of our colleagues from developing countries, they are eager to see energy savings channelled back into other productive pursuits, which in turn generate even greater growth. But while energy efficiency remains the largest contributor to emissions reductions, and combined with both the positive and negative potential of some rebound effect, it alone will not enable us to meet global climate targets. We must also clean up the production of the energy that we do use. [...] Another key decision will be on the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies. The IEA has been placing emphasis on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies for well over a decade in the context of our World Energy Outlook, or WEO. Next month, on 12 November in London, I will be launching the 2014 edition of the WEO, which will include a dedicated chapter on subsidies to fossil fuels. [...] Despite growing momentum to reduce or eliminate subsidies to fossil fuels, our new analysis highlights that they remain a significant problem, primarily where they have become too much of a burden on the public purse. Globally, we have identified 40 countries that subsidise fossil-fuel consumption with a combined value amounting to USD 548 billion in 2013. While this represents a USD 25 billion cut from the previous year, it is still almost five-times the value of subsidies to renewable energy. Reforming energy subsidies is difficult to achieve in practice, but it is not impossible [iea.org]

» October 27 2014 - Energy Transition, UE, Energy Future. "The energy transition has only just begun". While policymakers and companies generally acknowledge the need for an energy transition, they still underestimate the enormous task that is facing us. The real energy transition, says Andre' Faaij, the new academic director of the Dutch research institute Energy Academy Europe, has yet to start. And, he adds, it will only succeed if it is strongly directed by government policy - preferably coordinated by Brussels - and approached in a comprehensive manner. "A limited approach, based on particular interests, that won’t work." The "energy transition" is "going to be a much tougher challenge" than most people realise. That's the firm conviction of Professor Andre' Faaij, who since 1 April of this year has been Academic Director of the Energy Academy Europe (EAE), a fairly new top-level institute in Groningen, set up in 2012 to study and help forward a sustainable energy future [energypost.eu]

» October 26 2014 - Shale Gas, US, Barnett Shale, Fracking Future, geopolitics. Fracking Future Could Rest On Small Texas Town. All eyes are on a small college town just outside of Dallas, Texas, whose claim to fame is three-fold: It is the home to the Barnett Shale; it is where hydraulic fracturing debuted; and now some fear it could be where fracking meets one of its greatest enemies, while conspiracy theories of Russian infiltration abound. On 4 November, the residents of Denton will vote in a local ballot on whether or not to ban fracking within the city limits, and there is a flurry of activity on this battleground that is not likely to end with the vote itself, but will be dragged through the courts in the aftermath. While Denton is but a small college town, this small-town referendum has much larger implications. If Texas bans fracking-even on this small scale-it could snowball and empower other anti-fracking movements and efforts. The local government has the right to invoke home rule, which empowers a local municipality to control zoning ordinances and override state rules. This is what has the oil and gas industry worried, as it threatens to reshape the fracking debate country-wide. The campaign for a referendum on banning fracking was initiated by the Denton Drilling Awareness Group, whose petition for a ban turned up enough support to force the city council to hold a Council vote in July, which ended up being 5 to 2 against the ban. The ban failed to pass, but was put on a November ballot as a public referendum. In July, when things started heating up, the Russian conspiracy theory entered the equation, first spread by the Railroad Commissioner. The fight has become dirty, as it is wont to do in the oil and gas business, and now takes on geopolitical proportions, catapulting this small Texan town into a new sort of fame from which it will not recover for some time. Pro-fracking groups quickly latched on to the Russian conspiracy, recognizing the convenience in this during a time of high-tensions with and sanctions against Russian oil and gas interests, who have in the past been accused of supporting Western anti-fracking groups in order to slow down the American shale boom. Anti--racking supporters are referring to these tactics as "McCarthy-era" , as the pro-fracking campaign is now suggesting that anyone who thwarts fracking is supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin, turning anti-fracking sentiments into treason [oilprice.com]

» October 26 2014 - Climate change, climate action motive forces, emissions reductions policy, post-Kyoto. What are the Motive Forces for Effective Climate Action? If you might want or need something to happen very badly or urgently that was debatably in your power to influence or effect, the chief rational approach you might choose would be to attempt to understand what are the causal forces or conditions that lead that thing to happen. The alternatives are forms of magical thinking or prayer to assumed-to-be more powerful, perhaps supernatural, beings. As the domain of effective and timely action on climate is largely within the domain of human beings' ability to choose and influence others' choices and such action is considered by increasing numbers of people to be highly desirable, one would think that substantial groups of social scientists would be making their best efforts to figure out how to "make climate action happen". Even if you were not an intense partisan of a particular outcome, as the scenario above suggests, if you were just a scientist or seeker of knowledge of some type, you would also want to understand motive forces, so as to predict future outcomes and make your scientific knowledge of some use to human beings. This is the study of dynamics, how things change over time. Of course, some of the causes of climate action, unfortunately, are related to what we cannot directly and specifically control, i.e. the sequence and timing of unusual weather and other semi-natural events and changes on a scale of months and years. How hot, dry, wet or "unnatural" any of these physical climate-related events/disasters will appear to people will definitely have a catalytic effect on societies and governments now still embracing half-measures or avoiding action all together. It is extremely unfortunate that some of the impetus for effective action will come from events that will already be signs of a climate system on a path to perhaps irreversible instability and hostility to human life. However we cannot count on the destabilized climate system to catalyze the right or proper actions: mounting climate disasters could lead to a focus purely on rearguard adaptation or to the embrace of faulty ideas that will not yield decisive and rapid emissions reductions. As with the Kyoto Protocol's cap and trade system, half-measures can create their own set of entrenched interest groups invested in climate action as window-dressing rather than effective action itself. It still would be required that human beings make up their minds and act either before or after such disasters in a way that reduces their likelihood in the future, including fights with interest groups invested both in the status quo and in faulty ideas about what can spur emissions reductions [neweconomicperspectives.org]

» October 26 2014 - Oil Price Shock, geopolitics, IS, Iraq, World Economy. In Early October the IMF looked at what might happen to the world economy if conflict in Iraq caused an oil-price shock. Fighters from Islamic State (IS) were pushing into the country's north and the fund worried about a sharp price rise, of 20% in a year. Global GDP would fall by 0.5-1.5%, it concluded. Equity prices in rich countries would decline by 3-7%, and inflation would be at least half a point higher. IS is still advancing. Russia, the world's third-biggest producer, is embroiled in Ukraine. Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and Libya, oil producers all, are in turmoil. But the price of Brent crude fell over 25% from $115 a barrel in mid-June to under $85 in mid-October, before recovering a little. Such a shift has global consequences. Who are the winners and losers? The first winner is the world economy itself. A 10% change in the oil price is associated with around a 0.2% change in global GDP, says Tom Helbling of the IMF. A price fall normally boosts GDP by shifting resources from producers to consumers, who are more likely to spend their gains than wealthy sheikhdoms. If increased supply is the driving force, the effect is likely to be bigger-as in America, where shale gas drove prices down relative to Europe and, says the IMF, boosted manufactured exports by 6% compared with the rest of the world. But if it reflects weak demand, consumers may save the windfall [economist.com]

» October 24 2014 - Energy Trends in the Eastern Mediterranean, geopolitics, Greece, Russia, TAP, CSIS Statesmen's Forum. Evolving Energy Trends in the Eastern Mediterranean. [...] the shifting energy dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe. As Europe seeks to develop an Energy Union and to enhance its energy security and diversify its supply, recent energy discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean could offer an alternative. Greece has taken considerable steps to explore its own energy resource base and develop its energy infrastructure to enhance its domestic energy security. What are the prospects for energy sector development in Greece and across the broader region? How can Greece contribute to the expansion of Europe's Southern Gas Corridor? What impacts will the recently-announced Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) have on Greece and the rest of Europe? In light of the current geopolitical tensions with Russia and instability in the Middle East, will regional political dynamics hinder resource exploration and development? Minister Maniatis will share his insights on these topical issues [csis.org]

» October 24 2014 - Climate Change, Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), UNOPS Bid. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has just posted an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). The ITB closes on November 7th. UNOPS invites all project developers and carbon offsets traders to respond to the invitation to bid and offer credits that satisfy the quality requirements spelled out in the technical specifications. During the Climate Summit last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the entire United Nations system is stepping up its efforts to minimize its environmental impact: "The United Nations is doing its part. We will be climate neutral by 2020" [unops.org]

» October 24 2014 - Coal, low prices, weak demand, Australia, China. The slide in oil prices has raised speculation that oil companies in the U.S. could be forced to cut back on production, but a market slump in another commodity is also putting pressure on producers. Coal markets are currently experiencing a supply glut that is showing no signs of recovery. Mining companies drew up plans for billion-dollar projects in the mid-2000s, when commodity prices were on the upswing. With many of those projects now coming online, coal production is rising. [...] BHP Billiton, an Australian mining giant, just opened a $3.4 billion mine in Queensland, which will add 5.5 million tonnes of coal capacity per year to the global market [...] it's clear that the markets are not being good to coal. BHP Billiton is adding a new "world class" mine, but other mines in Australia are shutting down or laying off workers because of low prices and weak demand. According to Reuters, a third of Australia's mining sector is operating at a loss, choosing to keep operations going while waiting for sunnier days. Coal mining companies may be digging out more coal than ever before, but demand is not keeping up with all of the new supply. Much of that has to do with slowing demand in China. Third quarter figures showed that the Chinese economy expanded at a 7.3 percent annual rate, beating estimates, but still the slowest pace in five years. A slower economy, coupled with an aggressive campaign on behalf of the central government to cut air pollution, meant China's coal consumption actually declined by 1 to 2 percent from January through September of this year [oilprice.com]

» October 24 2014 - Carbon Tax, Climate Change, Economic Growth. "The Sudden Rise of Carbon Taxes, 2010-2030, Lawrence MacDonald and Jing Cao outline an imagined scenario in which "It's 2030 and instead of racing toward the brink of climate catastrophe the world has begun to back away. Annual global emissions of heat-trapping gasses have fallen two-thirds-faster than anybody had dared to hope ... with continued steep reductions ahead. Atmospheric CO2 was increasing by 3 ppm per year as recently as 2020; ... today the annual increase has fallen to just 1 ppm, and attention and investment are shifting from the need for steep emissions reductions-a global goal that has largely been attained-to large-scale, low-cost biological methods for extracting carbon from the atmosphere." It all comes about because of emissions fees imposed in the U.S., China, Europe and elsewhere. And it coincides with increased economic growth! Read the attached essay to see how this scenario can actually happen [cgdev.org]

» October 24 2014 - Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Clean Transport, Private Investment, US. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) regional Private Financing Advisory Network for Asia (PFAN-Asia) is a five-year regional program aiming to accelerate and to increase the private sector investment in clean energy and GHG emission reduction related projects/businesses in Southeast Asia and South Asia countries. PFAN-Asia program is now looking for projects and companies that needs financing for starting/developing renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean transport related businesses in any of the twelve countries: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. We provide investment readiness assessment, mentoring services, match-making to investors, and tipping point assistance. Since 2006 we've raised $275 million in this region and $578 million globally. Our services are funded by the US-government to address global warming [cti-pfan.net]

» October 24 2014 - Climate and Energy Policy, EU, European Council, Official document. Conclusions on 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework. Substantial progress has been made towards the attainment of the EU targets for greenhouse gas emission reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency, which need to be fully met by 2020. On the basis of the principles identified in the March 2014 European Council conclusions, the European Council agreed today on the 2030 climate and energy policy framework for the European Union. Accordingly, the EU will submit its contribution, at the latest by the first quarter of 2015, in line with the timeline agreed by the UNFCCC in Warsaw for the conclusion of a global climate agreement. The European Council calls on all countries to come forward with ambitious targets and policies well in advance of the Conference of the Parties 21 in Paris. It will revert to this issue after the Paris Conference. The European Council will keep all the elements of the framework under review and will continue to give strategic orientations as appropriate, notably with respect to consensus on ETS, non-ETS, interconnections and energy efficiency [...] GHG emissions reduction target. The European Council endorsed a binding EU target of an at least 40% domestic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. To that end: the target will be delivered collectively by the EU in the most cost-effective manner possible, with the reductions in the ETS and non-ETS sectors amounting to 43% and 30% by 2030 compared to 2005, respectively; all Member States will participate in this effort, balancing considerations of fairness and solidarity [...] Renewables and energy efficiency. An EU target of at least 27% is set for the share of renewable energy consumed in the EU in 2030. This target will be binding at EU level. It will be fulfilled through Member States contributions guided by the need to deliver collectively the EU target without preventing Member States from setting their own more ambitious national targets and supporting them, in line with the state aid guidelines, as well as taking into account their degree of integration in the internal energy market. The integration of rising levels of intermittent renewable energy requires a more interconnected internal energy market and appropriate back up, which should be coordinated as necessary at regional level. An indicative target at the EU level of at least 27% is set for improving energy efficiency in 2030 compared to projections of future energy consumption based on the current criteria. It will be delivered in a cost-effective manner and it will fully respect the effectiveness of the ETS-system in contributing to the overall climate goals. This will be reviewed by 2020, having in mind an EU level of 30% [...] The European Council noted the fundamental importance of a fully functioning and connected internal energy market. Recalling the March 2014 conclusions on its completion, the European Council stressed that all efforts must be mobilised to achieve this objective as a matter of urgency. Preventing inadequate interconnections of Member States with the European gas and electricity networks and ensuring synchronous operation of Member States within the European Continental Networks as foreseen in the European Energy Security Strategy will also remain a priority after 2020 [...] the European Commission supported by the Member States will take urgent measures in order to ensure the achievement of a minimum target of 10% of existing electricity interconnections, as a matter of urgency, and no later than 2020 at least for Member States which have not yet attained a minimum level of integration in the internal energy market, which are the Baltic States, Portugal and Spain, and for Member States which constitute their main point of access to the internal energy market [consilium.europa.eu]

» October 23 2014 - Natural gas, Methane Hydrates, US. The US Department of Energy has launched a 4-year, marine research project to gain a deeper understanding of methane hydrate-bearing sediments. DOE says the new project will further the goals set out by the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 by estimating the occurrence and distribution of marine hydrates and laying the groundwork needed to simulate production behavior from sand-rich reservoirs. A research team led by the University of Texas at Austin, will characterize and prioritize known and prospective Gulf of Mexico drilling locations with a high probability of encountering concentrated methane hydrates. The team includes members from Ohio State University, Columbia University, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, and the US Geological Survey. Researchers will begin a focused drilling program to acquire conventional cores, pressure cores, and downhole logs. They will then measure in situ properties and reservoir response to short-duration pressure perturbations. Post-fieldwork analyses will determine the in situ concentrations, the physical properties, the lithology, and the thermodynamic state of hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs [ogj.com]

» October 23 2014 - Oil, North Sea, UK, GDF, BP. GDF Suez and BP have made a new oil discovery in the UK Central North Sea. The new exploration well, located in block 30/1c, was flow tested at a maximum rate of 5,350 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The discovery, dubbed 'Vorlich' by BP and 'Marconi' by GDF Suez, is a landmark find according to regional president of BP North Sea Trevor Garlick. [...] BP is the operator of block 30/1c. However, GDF Suez, which used the Transocean Galaxy II jack-up rig, is the official operator of the well. Ruud Zoon, managing director of GDF Suez, said: "This is an encouraging exploration discovery in a part of the Central North Sea that needs additional volumes of hydrocarbons to open up development options for several stranded discoveries. The discovery is our third successful well this year and demonstrates a continuing commitment by GDF SUEZ to an active exploration and appraisal drilling programme on the UK Continental Shelf." Business and Energy Minister Matthew Hancock [UK] added: “We are determined to have set the right fiscal and regulatory regimes to make sure we can get the maximum possible economic extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea." [energyvoice.com]

» October 23 2014 - Renewable Energy, PV, China. China Greatwall Computer Shenzhen Co., which last month said it was selling shares to fund solar developments, plans to spend more than $87 million on rooftop and ground-mounted systems. The Shenzhen-based company is building projects totaling 60 megawatts of capacity in Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces, according to a statement today. The solar farms, which require government approval, are part of the nation's plan to increase photovoltaic capacity in Central and Eastern China to 10 gigawatts by 2020 [bnef.com]

» October 23 2014 - Oil prices, OPEC, Brent, Libya. Libya's OPEC governor called for the group to reduce oil output by at least 500,000 barrels a day as its biggest members discount supplies to defend market share rather than cut production to boost prices. The market is oversupplied by about 1 million barrels a day, Libya's Samir Kamal said by e-mail yesterday. His comments reflected personal views, not the official Libyan position, he said. They mark the first time a member nation representative is suggesting how much production needs to be reduced after prices entered a bear market. Brent crude, a benchmark for more than half of the world's oil, has tumbled about 25 percent since June, as producers including Saudi Arabia cut export prices to stimulate demand amid the highest U.S. output in almost 30 years. Banks including BNP Paribas SA and Bank of America Corp. predict the price rout may be over, in part because they expect the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to reduce supply [bloomberg.com]

» October 23 2014 - Climate Change, Insurance Companies, Climate Risk, Ceres Report. Amid growing evidence that climate change is having wide-ranging global impacts that will worsen in the years ahead, Insurer Climate Risk Disclosure Survey Report & Scorecard: 2014 Findings & Recommendations, ranks the nation's 330 largest insurance companies on what they are saying and doing to respond to escalating climate risks. The report found strong leadership among fewer than a dozen companies but generally poor responses among the vast majority [ceres.org]

» October 23 2014 - Renewable energy, wind power. Wind economics more compelling than ever. The findings, based on figures by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), contradict the established narrative that touted shale gas as the biggest single factor in bringing down US emissions in recent years, says Greenpeace. The new analysis, which was published in part by Greenpeace and Energydesk, comes in the wake of a major international study recently published illustrating a global shale boom will not reduce emissions, and may lead to an increase in emissions of up to 11 per cent by 2050. The US shale industry has been widely credited for reducing the country's reliance on coal and slashing carbon pollution from the power sector. But research by Greenpeace energy and climate analyst Lauri Myllyvirta suggests that shale gas played a much smaller role than previously thought. Between 2007 and 2013 the US saw the largest fall in coal usage ever experienced by any country, with renewables, energy efficiency and shale gas together picking up the slack. Switching away from coal led to lower emissions from the power sector, which has largely been attributed to fracking [windenergyupdate.com]

» October 22 2014 - CO2 emissions, UE. Prof Jim Skea, a vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says the EU's plan to cut CO2 emissions 40% by 2030 is too weak. He says it will commit future governments to "extraordinary and unprecedented" emissions cuts. The Commission rejected the claim, saying the 40% target puts Europe on track for long-term climate goals. The 40% target - proposed by the European Commission - will be finalised at an EU summit this week. A spokesman for the Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: "Our 40% target is in line with science as it puts us right on track to meet our 2050 goal of cutting emissions by 80%-95%. "This is what developed countries will need to reduce by 2050 according to the IPCC to keep global warming below 2C." But Prof Skea, vice-chair of the economics working group of the IPCC, told BBC News the EU's 40% target for 2030 would not lead to the desired cut by the middle of the century [bbc.com]

» October 22 2014 - Energy Intensity, Carbon Intensity, CO2 emissions, US, eia. U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased in 2013 by 129 million metric tons (2.5%), the largest increase since 2010 and the fourth-largest increase since 1990. Emissions trends reflect a combination of economic factors (population multiplied by per capita output [GDP/population]), energy intensity (energy use per dollar of GDP), and carbon intensity (carbon emissions per unit of energy consumed). In the decade prior to 2013, energy intensity decreased on average by 2.0% per year; given that it increased by 0.5% in 2013, this meant there was a 2.5% swing compared to trend. Energy intensity changes can reflect weather variations that directly affect energy use for heating and cooling as well as changes in the composition of economic activity. Heating degree days, a measure of heating requirements, increased about 19% between 2012 and 2013. As compared to the 2003-12 trend, the increase in energy intensity added about 134 million metric tons. Carbon intensity declined by 0.3% in 2013, but as this decline was less than the previous decade, it led to an increase of about 29 million metric tons of emissions as compared to trend. One factor driving carbon intensity lower has been the changing fuel mix in the electric power sector. The share of electricity generated from natural gas and renewables generally increased while the share from coal decreased through 2012, when natural gas prices fell to their lowest level in more than a decade following a mild winter. With higher natural gas prices in 2013, coal's generation share rose from 39% in 2012 to 40% in 2013, slowing the rate of carbon intensity reduction [eia.gov]

» October 22 2014 - Circular Economy, World Economic Forum. The Circular Economy Awards, or The Circulars, is an annual event recognizing individuals and enterprises from commerce, civil society and academia that have made a notable contribution to driving circular economy principles [...] The circular economy is an alternative to the traditional linear economy. It decouples growth from scarce resource use allowing economic development within natural resource limits and allowing companies to innovate to enable customers and users to do 'more with less'. All entries must be submitted by 31st October 2014 [thecirculars.org]

» October 22 2014 - Natural gas, Russia, Ukraine, EU. The last round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia has come to nothing, with European Commissioner Gunther Oettinger suggesting once more that an interim gas deal is soon to come. Oettinger said he hopes the two countries will reach an agreement on Wednesday next week. According to the draft agreement, Ukraine would buy 4 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia at $385 per 1,000 cubic meters on prepayment conditions [naturalgaseurope.com]

» October 22 2014 - Carbon Markets, Routledge Studies in Environmental Policy. The Politics of Carbon Markets, published by Routledge. Carbon markets are in the middle of a fundamental crisis. A crisis marked by collapsing prices, fleeing actors, and ever increasing greenhouse gas levels. Yet carbon trading remains at the heart of global attempts to respond to climate change. Not only this, but markets continue to proliferate - particularly in the Global South. This edited volume helps to make sense of this paradox. It brings two urgently needed insights to the analysis of carbon markets. First, the markets must be understood in relation to the politics involved in their development, maintenance and opposition. Second, this politics is multiform and pervasive. Implementation of new techniques and measuring tools, policy development and contestation, and the structuring context of institutional settings and macro-social forces all involve a variety of political actors and create new forms of political agency. This book brings together 12 contributions that focus on this politics of carbon markets. These study the total extent of the carbon markets, from their prehistory to their contemporary expansion and wider impacts. In total, this wide-ranging political perspective on the carbon markets is invaluable to both a scholarly and non-scholarly audience interested in climate change governance. Table of contents: 1. Zombie markets or zombie analyses? Revivifying the politics of carbon markets (Richard Lane and Benjamin Stephan). Part 1: The politics of carbon before carbon. 2. Resources For the Future, resources for growth: the making of the 1975 growth ban (Richard Lane). 3. Politics by other means. The making of the emissions trading instrument as a 'pre-history' of carbon trading (Arno Simons and Jan-Peter Voss). 4. Allometric equations and timber markets: an important forerunner of REDD+? (Heather Lovell and Donald MacKenzie). 5. Virtuous Carbon (Matthew Paterson and Johannes Stripple). Part 2: The Politics of Carbon. 6. A Neo-Gramscian Account of Carbon Markets: The Cases of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and the Clean Development Mechanism (Elah Matt and Chukwumerije Okereke). 7. The politics of carbon markets in the global South (Markus Lederer). 8. Carbon governance in China by the creation of a carbon market (Anita Engels, Tianbao Qin and Eva Sternfeld). 9. The currencies of carbon: carbon money and its social meaning (Philippe Descheneau). Part 3: The politics of carbon after carbon. 10. The Politics of Researching Carbon Trading in Australia (Clive L. Spash). 11. Dialogue of the Deaf? The CDM's Legimitation (Crisis Peter Newell). 12. The Post- and Future Politics of Green Economy and REDD+ (Kathleen McAfee). 13. Political sellout! Carbon markets between depoliticising and repoliticising climate politics (Chris Methmann and Benjamin Stephan) [routledge.com]

» October 22 2014 - Renewable Energy, Geothermal Power. According to "2014 Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report' by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), released earlier this year (April, 2014), the international power market is booming, with a sustained growth rate of 4% to 5%. The report further revealed, currently there are 700 geothermal projects in development in 76 countries and that if all geothermal power plants under construction are completed on schedule the global geothermal industry could reach about 13,450 MW of nameplate capacity by 2017. As the report states, there are many opportunities for geothermal power development globally, but where does the industry stand today and what can we expect in 2015? What are the factors involved in ensuring project success and funding in various regions and how do they compare to Europe? To provide you with answers to these questions and many more key insights into the opportunities, challenges, global trends and policies, through expert led case study presentations, interactive session and discussions, ACI's 4th Geothermal Energy Summit, Reykjavik, Iceland, 18-19 Febraury 2015 [wplgroup.com]

» October 22 2014 - Oil prices, Brent, WTI, Opec, geopolitics. Oil has been on a wild ride this fall, dropping more than 20 percent from levels seen just a few months ago and pushing gasoline prices down for more than two weeks straight. While Wall Street agonizes over the fallout to the energy sector, Washington is watching to see how the bear market for oil affects international tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and how much the domestic economy benefits amid worries about a global slowdown. The global Brent crude benchmark steadied near $86 a barrel on Friday, less than $5 above U.S. WTI crude - a much smaller discount for domestic oil than the $15 difference in January. But despite the sharp recent decline, today's crude is hardly cheap by historical standards. "It's not $80 oil that is unusual - $100 oil was unusual," said Edward Chow, a senior fellow in the energy and national security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The fact that there is a cyclical decline should not surprise anyone. The precise timing always surprises everyone." The next flash point for crude may come on Nov. 27, when OPEC members will meet in Vienna, and where Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors may fend off efforts to coax them into a production cut [politico.com]

» October 21 2014 - Climate and energy policy, EU 2030 targets. The great EU climate and energy test: European leaders need deal that will convince the world. On 23 October EU leaders will meet to agree the foundations of an EU climate and energy policy for 2030. They need to settle on four targets: greenhouse gas emission reductions, renewables, energy efficiency, and - the most recent addition - interconnections. But even more: they will have to convince markets and policymakers across the world that the EU has a credible climate and energy strategy to offer [energypost.eu]

» October 21 2014 - Energy transition, Low-carbon energy system, climate change, economic growth, climate economy. Climate Policy Initiative, two new reports clearly demonstrate that, with the right policies, a low-carbon energy system consistent with avoiding the most damaging effects of climate change could free up trillions of dollars over the next 20 years to invest in better economic growth. The reports were commissioned by the New Climate Economy project as part of the research conducted for the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. The first report, "Moving to a Low Carbon Economy: The Financial Impact of the Low-Carbon Transition," compares the costs of low-carbon electricity and low-carbon transportation systems with current systems. The second, "Moving to a Low Carbon Economy: The Impact of Different Policy Pathways on Fossil Fuel Asset Values," focuses on the risk of losses in the financial value of existing fossil fuel assets (so called "asset stranding"). A loss in assets' value is critical because it constrains governments and businesses' ability to borrow against them to finance growth and investment, including investment in a low-carbon transition [climatepolicyinitiative.org]

» October 21 2014 - Oil, Iraq, Kurdistan, geopolitics. Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is racing to expand the capacity of its oil refineries - a critical step toward addressing weaknesses in the KRG's oil sector and economy. Kurdistan's two major refineries, near Erbil and Sulaimaniya, process just over 15.3 million liters - 96,000 barrels - of oil a day, according to figures for January released by the region’s Ministry of Natural Resources [iraqoilreport.com]

» October 21 2014 - Climate change, global climate agreement, Durban Platform, Paris COP21, C2ES Report. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions is convening an informal dialogue among officials from more than 20 countries on options for a new global climate agreement. The Toward 2015 dialogue provides an informal opportunity for participants to examine issues related to the ongoing Durban Platform negotiations. The goal of the Durban Platform talks is a new agreement under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in late 2015 in Paris. Participants, who take part in their personal capacities, are meeting five times in 2014 and will continue meeting in 2015. The dialogue's aim is an open exchange of ideas and views contributing to deeper common understandings both among the participants and within the broader climate community. The dialogue co-chairs have released a report drawing on discussions held in the first four sessions from March to September 2014. Toward 2015 is made possible with financial support from the governments of Australia, Germany, Norway and Switzerland [c2es.org]

» October 20 2014 - Climate change, impacts, adaptation, mitigation, Nordic countries. Climate change is expected to have a profound impact on natural resources, and thus on the primary industries (agriculture, forestry and fisheries) in the Nordic countries. Climate change induces risks but also creates possibilities for new production systems on land and in the ocean. Climatic changes also represent great challenges for policy-making and management regimes. The current knowledge base on natural resources in the Nordic region needs to be expanded to fully address the impacts of climate change. In particular it is important to address the need for improved policies and new policy instruments. The research programme Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation in Nordic Primary Industries is a coordinated set of thematic research networks with the objective to create a Nordic knowledge base on climate change interactions with primary industries in the Nordic region [norden.diva-portal.org]

» October 20 2014 - Oil prices, Saudi Arabia strategy, geopolitics. Analyst criticizes Saudi Arabia for manipulation of oil market. Visiting research fellow at Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Elham Hassanzadeh on Monday criticized Saudi Arabia for manipulation of oil price for political reasons [...] she referred to Saudi Arabia's discounts on oil exports, adding that increase of output and in the meantime big discounts to importers by certain OPEC member states will result in decline of price and harm economy of the cartel's members. Increase of oil production in the US including the shell oil has also affected the oil market and dropped the price, Hassanzadeh added. She also referred to drop of consumption by giant oil consumers including India, China and some European countries as another reason behind the decline in oil prices. Brent oil prices tumbled this week to a four-year low due to ample supplies and low demand over concerns about global economic uncertainty [irna.ir]

» October 20 2014 - Oil, Morocco. Genel Energy has hit oil after drilling a well on the Sidi Moussa Block off the coast of Morocco. The discovery was made by the oil and gas explorer along with its partners San Leon and Serica Energy. Cased hole testing will now be done on the SM-1 well which has a total depth of 2,825Mmdbrt (measured depth below rotary table) [energyvoice.com]

» October 20 2014 - Nuclear power, France. French President Francois Hollande has promised to limit the growth of the country's nuclear power, many older reactors have been targeted for decommissioning, and Greenpeace and other environmental groups have been relentless in their anti-nuclear campaigning. But until now, it seemed unlikely that France would ever truly rethink its love affair with nuclear power. Last week, it did. On Oct. 10, France's parliament voted to begin moving to undo decades of nuclear growth and to reduce its importance to the country's energy mix. Over the next 11 years, France will reduce the amount of electricity coming from nuclear by one-quarter -- from 75 percent to 50 percent. To do that, estimates are that as many as 20 of France's 58 reactors would have to be closed [oilprice.com]

» October 19 2014 - Climate change, national adaptation policies, extreme weather events, EU, EEA (European Environment Agency) Report. This report draws on the results of a self-assessment survey conducted on national adaptation policy processes in Europe. In May 2013, the survey was sent out by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to authorities in countries responsible for coordinating adaptation at national level (the EEA 32 member countries, and in Croatia in July 2013 as a new EU Member State and EEA member country). Some 30 EEA member countries provided their responses on a voluntary basis. Thanks to the high response rate and the wealth of information provided by these European countries, this report presents a unique collection of information and the largest and most comprehensive overview of national adaptation policy processes in Europe, to date [eea.europa.eu]

» October 19 2014 - Oil prices, natural gas, shale gas, US, CSIS commentary. Oil prices have collapsed dramatically since June [...] Brent prices in the low $80s translate to Bakken prices in the low $70s (or below), putting pressure on unconventional producers. At current price levels, operators with high cost structures may be prone to slow or stall their investment in new wells. Even lower-cost operators (many of whom spend more than they take in) will have diminished cash flows available to invest in future production [...] According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, more than half of U.S. natural gas output comes from "associated" volumes that are a byproduct of oil production. As a result, any slowdown in oil drilling could correspond to a slowdown in the growth of the gas supply, too. If this happens, the nation won’t run short of natural gas. Vast, untapped shale gas resources remain, especially within the Haynesville and the gas-prone regions of the Marcellus. That said, production could shift to a modestly higher point on the supply curve [csis.org]

» October 19 2014 - Oil prices, oil production, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, renewable energy, geopolitics. In the face of the striking weakness in global oil prices, Saudi Arabia has further challenged markets by seeming uncharacteristically comfortable with the lower prices, refusing to vote with OPEC to cut production. Many have been seeing the Saudi's willingness to let oil prices drop as a retribution against the U.S.'s unrestrained oil boom. Others suspect a U.S.-Saudi conspiracy again Russia. In fact, the real reason may lie in the country's deliberate development of solar energy to ensure a bright future in the face of eventually dwindling oil supplies. In 2010, the Saudi government created the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, or K.A.CARE and officially said the nation was hoping to get 30% of its energy needs from solar power by 2034. Bids have been opened for the installation of 41 gigawatts of solar power over the next 20 years. At that level, the Saudis will be one of the world's top solar producers. That's interesting and certainly gives more credibility to suggestions the Saudis could eventually export solar power to Europe during Europe's cooler season. It also shows that the greening of Saudi Arabia has begun, something Wall Street needs to better understand when valuing the price of oil in the future [thestreet.com]

» October 18 2014 - Oil prices, oil production, oil revenues, URSS, US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, geopolitics. Unleashing the oil weapon against Russia: how to destroy a great empire. Do you remember the old Soviet Union? Dubbed as "The Evil Empire" by Ronald Reagan in 1983, it disappeared in a puff of smoke in 1991, crushed under a mountain of debts. The origins of the financial collapse of the Soviet Union are rather well known: it was related to the fall of the oil prices which, in 1985, went down from the equivalent of more than 100 (today's) dollars per barrel in 1980 to about 30 (today's) dollars and stayed low for more than a decade. The Soviet Union was relying on oil exports for its economy and, in addition, it was burdened with huge military expenses. It just couldn't take a drop of more than a factor of three in its oil revenues [...] It is true, however, that after the first great oil crisis of the 1970s, the world's oil production restarted its growth around 1985. The reasons for the recovery can't be attributed to the work of a group of conspirators sitting in a smoke filled room. Rather, it was the result of a number of new oil fields starting their production phase, mainly in Alaska and in the North Sea. This was the origin of the drop in oil prices and, indirectly, of the fall of the Soviet Union. Today, Russia's oil production has recovered from the downfall of Soviet times and the Russian economy is highly dependent on oil exports, much like the old USSR was. So, a drop in oil prices could do a lot of damage to Russia. Given the political situation with the Ukraine crisis, there are speculations that the West is trying to bring down Russia by repeating the same trick that seemed to be so successful in bringing down the old "Evil Empire". Indeed, we are seeing oil prices dropping below $90 per barrel after years of stability around $100. Is it a fluctuation or a trend? Hard to say, but it is being interpreted as the unleashing of the "oil weapon" against Russia on the part of Saudi Arabia [...] Yet, there are good reasons to think that we could see a drop in oil prices in the near future. One factor is the downturn of several of the world's major economies (e.g. Italy). That could lead to a fall of the demand for oil and, consequently, to lower prices (something similar took place with the financial crisis of 2008). Another factor could be the rapidly growing production unconventional oil (largely in the form of "shale oil") is the U.S. This oil is not being exported in large amounts, but it has reduced the US demand of oil in the world's market. Coupling these two factors, we might well see a considerable drop in oil prices in the near future, although hardly a sustained one. So, would that be the "oil weapon" that will bring Russia to its knees? Maybe, but, as with all weapons, there are side effects to consider [resilience.org, Bardi]

» October 17 2014 - Climate investment funds, climate finance, climate mitigation and adaptation, low-carbon economy, ICC (International Chamber of Commerce). Climate Investment Funds (CIF): Private Sector Observer Consultations and Selection Process. The selection process for 2015-1016 private sector observers to the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) is underway! The private sector is a key stakeholder in both climate mitigation and adaptation activities funded by the CIF. The CIF engages the private sector to help transform and stimulate markets, and is inviting nominations for private sector observers for the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) as well as the three Sub-Committees of the Strategic Climate Fund: the Forest Investment Program (FIP), the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), and the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (SREP). Observers will be selected for the term 2015-2016, and should come from business umbrella organizations or associations with verifiable connections to networks that are actively engaged on issues relevant to the CIF. Private sector observers should have expertise in sectors such as renewable energy, clean technology, climate resilience projects, sustainable forestry businesses, or in climate finance related projects [iccwbo.org]

» October 17 2014 - Low-carbon energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, low-carbon companies. "Be practical" is a common theme in discussions about future energy sources - even in light of climate change. The rationale usually is that we all need to "face the reality" that fossil fuels will provide the majority of global energy for decades, unless truly game-changing technological breakthroughs emerge and can be scaled. Yet it's clear that the "be practical" approach is anything but. In light of climate science and alarming reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, now is the time to focus on driving radical energy efficiencies and low-carbon energy sources throughout business operations, power infrastructure and more, as outlined in recent BSR reports translating IPCC climate science for transport, agriculture and extractives and primary industries, as well as our work on data centers. It is time to max out all known low-carbon options while also reaching for a "man on the moon" moment by scaling and innovating further. [...] Consider the new RE100 initiative, which aims to have 100 of the world's top businesses committed to 100 percent renewable power by 2020. It is currently supported by BT, Formula E, H&M, IKEA, J. Safra Sarasin, KPN, Mars, Nestle', Philips, Reed Elsevier, Swiss Re and Yoox. Consider Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent assertion that the "long-term consequences of not addressing climate are huge." Apple's environmental commitments reflect this notion, including that 100 percent of the company's data centers are powered by renewables. And consider Tesla Motors' new Gigafactory, which seeks to propel the company toward its goal of producing the first mass-market electric car in three years by manufacturing cheaper lithium-ion batteries [www.greenbiz.com]

» October 17 2014 - Natural gas, Russia, Japan, pipeline, geopolitics. Tokyo has not received any Moscow's proposal on constructing a gas pipeline from Russia's Far Eastern island Sakhalin to northern Japan, but is ready to study such an idea, an official from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Friday. [...] Japan's largest business newspaper, the Nikkei, reported on Wednesday that Russia proposed to Japan to discuss an idea of building a gas pipeline from Russia's Far Eastern island Sakhalin to the northernmost Japanese city of Wakkanai on Hokkaido Island and further to the main territory of the country. If the project is implemented, this will be a first gas pipeline linking Japan with another country, the report said. Japan is the world's larger importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) which is shipped in tankers. The idea to build a gas pipeline from Russia to Japan has already been debated at the level of experts for many years, but did not reach the level of practical talks. The Japanese parliament has a group of lawmakers who call for building a gas pipeline from Sakhalin to Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Greater Tokyo. Under the project, the pipeline could supply 20 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Japanese experts say a gas pipeline will stretch for a total 1,350km. The construction costs are estimated at 600 billion yens (slightly less than $6 billion) [en.itar-tass.com]

» October 17 2014 - Climate change, reducing GHG target, EU. EU Expected to Formalize 40 Percent GHG Reduction Target at Bonn Talks. The European Union will unveil a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared with 1990 levels by 2030 at next weeks United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summit, which begins Oct. 20 in Bonn, EU and UN sources tell Bloomberg BNA [climate.bna.com]

» October 17 2014 - Solar PV, energy. The spectacular global growth of solar PV is one of the big energy stories of today. And it may well become the energy story of the 21st Century. Where did the solar revolution "suddenly" come from? And where will it take us? One of the pioneers of the sector, Peter F. Varadi, co-founder of what was once the biggest solar PV producer in the world, Solarex, has written a unique history of his company and that of solar PV. He also looks ahead to what our solar-powered energy future may look like [energypost.eu]

» October 17 2014 - Nuclear fusion, Compact fusion, Lockheedmartin. Being small is a big deal. The compact size is the reason that we believe we will be able to create fusion technology quickly. The smaller the size of the device, the easier it is to build up momentum and develop it faster. Instead of taking five years to design and build a concept, it takes only a few months. If we undergo a few of these testing and refinement cycles, we will be able to develop a prototype within the same five year timespan. To mimic the energy created by the sun and control it here on earth, we're creating a concept that can be contained using a magnetic bottle. The bottle is able to handle extremely hot temperatures, reaching hundreds of millions of degrees. By containing this reaction, we can release it in a controlled fashion to create energy we can use. The heat energy created using this compact fusion reactor will drive turbine generators by replacing the combustion chambers with simple heat exchangers. In turn, the turbines will then generate electricity or the propulsive power for a number of applications [lockheedmartin.com]

» October 17 2014 - Climate change, Resilient cities, India, TERI study. 'Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services'. The study assessed the impact of sea-level rise on the infrastructure and assets in the cities of Panaji and Visakhapatnam. The study was supported by USAID as part of its Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services (CRIS) Programme under the larger Climate Change Resilient Development (CCRD) Project [teriin.org]

» October 16 2014 - Climate change, natural gas, greenhouse gas emissions, Nature study. A new analysis of global energy use, economics and the climate shows that without new climate policies, expanding the current bounty of inexpensive natural gas alone would not slow the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide over the long term, according to a study appearing today in Nature Advanced Online Publication. Because natural gas emits half the carbon dioxide of coal, many people hoped the recent natural gas boom could help slow climate change - and according to government analyses, natural gas did contribute partially to a decline in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions between 2007 and 2012. But, in the long run, according to this study, a global abundance of inexpensive natural gas would compete with all energy sources - not just higher-emitting coal, but also lower-emitting nuclear and renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar. Inexpensive natural gas would also accelerate economic growth and expand overall energy use [pnnl.gov]

» October 16 2014 - Oil, China. China fuel oil: Plunge in outright prices keep teapot refiners' demand steady. Teapot refineries in eastern China's Shandong province have continued buying fuel oil as an alternative feedstock following recent steep falls in the product's benchmark outright prices, while imports of cheaper alternative feedstock asphalt remains steady, sources said Thursday, October 16. One 90,000-mt cargo of European origin 180 CST straight-run fuel oil is expected to arrive at Shandong port late this week. The cargo was bought by Luqing Petrochemical at a premium of around $100/mt to the Mean of Platts Singapore 180 CST high sulfur fuel oil assessment on a CFR basis, sources said [platts.com]

» October 16 2014 - Natural gas, Russia, UE, Brookings Institution policy brief. Russia likely to remain important European gas supplier, report says. Europe's natural gas supply mix likely won't change much without drastic policy interventions despite recent renewed concern over instability in Ukraine, a new Brookings Institution policy brief concluded. This effectively will ensure a continuing significant market share for Russia, it said. "Over 2 decades of market reforms in Europe, overdependence on Russian gas as a problem has been overstated," said Tim Boersma, an Energy Security Initiative fellow in Brookings's Foreign Policy program and one of the four authors. "But a lot more needs to be done, particularly attracting more infrastructure investment." The lack of market development and integration in central and eastern Europe appears likely to remain a problem in the near and medium term, according to the policy brief, "Business as Usual: European Gas Market Functioning in Times of Turmoil and Increasing Import Dependence." During an Oct. 14 discussion of the policy brief, Boersma said, "We've known for a decade now that much more work needs to be done in countries like Hungary." This is demonstrated by its scenario where Ukraine no longer functions as a transit state for gas headed to Europe, the study said. While this would not have a meaningful impact on seven of the eight trading hubs the study examines, it potentially could lead to price spikes during 2015 in the eighth, Austrian Baumgarten, the report said. By constructing additional interconnectors, reverse flow options, and storage facilities, countries like Poland and the Czech Republic are better situated now to resist market abuse than they were 10 years ago, it indicated [ogj.com]

» October 16 2014 - Climate change, land use, UNFCCC guide. Greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use are critical to combat climate change. Due to technical characteristics of land use decisions under the UNFCCC related to the sector have developed differently. It has come to be seen as an arcane and complex subject. The objective of the guide Understanding Land Use in the UNFCCC is to increase the technical understanding of how emissions and removals from the land sector are reported and accounted under the UNFCCC. The guide and summary was produced by independent authors with financial support from the Climate and Land Use Alliance and financial, technical and operational support from FCMC [fcmcglobal.org]

» October 15 2014 - Oil, oil prices, markets, CSIS commentary. Oil Markets: "Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind". On the surface, the easy and conventional explanation for the recent drop (20% since June) in oil prices - even in the face of heightened geopolitical risk/unrest in key oil producing regions - has focused mainly on the growth in supply (especially in the United States), lackluster global demand, and sizable global inventories. In combination, this trifecta has led market analysts to be both complacent (to date, this unrest has not impeded production volumes) and more recently, bearish. U.S. liquids production continues to grow; Russian exports, even in the face of sanctions remain high, and Iraq and Iran continue to export even as Libyan volumes go up and down. Given that the market had already factored in the continued U.S. tight oil surge, the "real surprise" has come in the form of demand loss. At the beginning of the year, many analysts predicted that non-OPEC supply gains would cover the majority of new demand growth, which though viewed as tepid, was still projected to be over 1.2 million barrels per day (mmb/d). Newer forecasts, however, show appreciably weaker growth (on the order of 700-800mb/d) and the reduction so far is concentrated in the second and third quarters, setting up potential problems for a well-supplied market, especially in a slow or no growth global scenario going forward [csis.org]

» October 15 2014 - Oil, disinvest, fossil fuel-producing companies, low carbon economy, UK, Bank of England. Earlier this year, an influential group of British politicians warned the Bank of England about the carbon bubble, but now it seems the idea is also catching on at the head of the bank too. According to The Guardian, Mark Carney, told a World Bank seminar that "the vast majority of reserves (of oil, coal and gas) are unburnable," before urging investors to consider the long-term implications of the investments they make. This is a big deal. The carbon bubble-a term that refers to the idea that financial assets invested in coal and oil may become stranded as the world makes the necessary transition away from fossil fuels-has been gaining considerable traction of late. Norwegians are worried about their massive sovereign wealth fund's reliance on oil investments, and pension funds may be deeply vulnerable to over investment in fossil fuels With the Rockefellers divesting their charity from fossil fuels, coal execs fretting about the future of their industry and Lego dumping its branding partnership with Shell Oil, Big Energy is getting squeezed from several sides right now [treehugger.com]

» October 15 2014 - Oil, disinvest, fossil fuel-producing companies, low carbon economy, Australia. Time to move to a post-carbon world. Just over a week ago, the Australian National University decided to sell shares worth approximately $16 million in seven companies, representing just 1 per cent of our investment portfolio, and a fraction of the market worth of the companies involved, which has sparked an extraordinary reaction. From one side it has been attacked by elements of industry, media and some political figures as reckless, cowardly, superficial, anti-business, poorly conceived and as destroying jobs. On the other side, my email account has melted down with emails of support, congratulating the university on its action, and the university's Facebook page is awash with positive comments. The reason for this extraordinary response is because the ANU decision is seen as another domino in the divestment-movement effect, involving individuals and institutions deciding to sell their holdings in fossil fuel-producing companies [theage.com]

» October 14 2014 - Climate change, adaptation, US, Department of Defense Report. The Pentagon on Monday released a report asserting decisively that climate change poses an immediate threat to national security, with increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortages. It also predicted rising demand for military disaster responses as extreme weather creates more global humanitarian crises. The report lays out a road map to show how the military will adapt to rising sea levels, more violent storms and widespread droughts. The Defense Department will begin by integrating plans for climate change risks across all of its operations, from war games and strategic military planning situations to a rethinking of the movement of supplies [nytimes.com]

» October 14 2014 - Oil, price, supply, demand scenario. Crude oil dropped in New York, extending declines from a 22-month low amid concern over a global glut in the commodity. Australian stocks climbed with US index futures after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index capped its biggest three-day loss since 2011, while gold held gains. West Texas Intermediate crude slid 0.9 percent to $84.99 a barrel by 8:55 a.m. in Tokyo after Brent oil sank to an almost four-year low. [...] Oil's rout and a new case of Ebola in the US have exacerbated a selloff in risk assets fueled by concern over the end of Federal Reserve stimulus and the global slowdown. Iraq followed Saudi Arabia and Iran in cutting prices for its crude at the weekend amid speculation oil production is outpacing demand. India releases a key inflation indicator today and gauges of economic growth expectations are due for the euro area and Germany. [...] Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, will sell its Basrah Light crude to Asia at the biggest discount since January 2009, the country's State Oil Marketing Co. said Oct. 12. Iran last week said it will sell oil to Asia in November at the biggest discount in almost six years, matching cuts by Saudi Arabia. The U.S. government releases data on oil inventories Oct. 16 [energyvoice.com]

» October 14 2014 - Natural gas, pipeline, TAPI, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Penspen awarded technical feasibility study for 1,820 km TAPI Pipeline. Oil and Gas engineering group Penspen has been awarded a contract by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to carry out a technical feasibility study for a proposed 1,820 km, 56 inch diameter pipeline from Turkmenistan's giant Galkynysh Gas Field, to serve energy markets in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The pipeline - commonly known as the TAPI Pipeline - will transport gas from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Multan in Pakistan and on to the Indian township of Fazilka. ADB has played a leading role in co-ordinating and facilitating the TAPI negotiation process over the past ten years. It is now expected that the pipeline will be completed by 2017. The TAPI Pipeline is expected to transport up to 90 MMcm/d of natural gas. The bulk of exported gas will help meet surging energy demand in India and Pakistan - where energy needs are set to double by 2030 - while the remainder will alleviate chronic power shortages in Afghanistan [pipelinesinternational.com]

» October 13 2014 - Energy markets, subsidies, costs, EU, European Commission Report. Subsidies and costs of EU energy. The functioning of energy markets and the size and effect of government interventions has been the subject of debate for years. To date however, a consolidated dataset for government interventions in the power market of the European Union has been missing. This is why the European Commission has commissioned a study that aims at helping to close the knowledge gap by quantifying the extent of public interventions in energy markets in all 28 Member States. [...] The results show that in 2012, the total value of public interventions in energy (excluding transport) in the EU28 were between €120-140 billion. Unsurprisingly, and given the efforts to expand the share of renewable energy in the EU's overall energy consumption, the largest amounts of current public support in 2012 went to renewables, in particular to solar (€14.7bn) and onshore wind (€10.1bn), followed by biomass (€8.3bn) and hydropower (€5.2bn). Among conventional power generation technologies, coal received the largest amount in current subsidies in 2012 with €10.1bn, followed by nuclear (€7 bn) and natural gas (about €5.2 bn). The figures specifying support across technologies do however not reflect the free allocation of emission certificates nor tax support for energy consumption. Including these factors would reduce the gap between support for renewables and other power generation technologies. The study also discusses the order of magnitude of historical interventions, which are considerable for coal and nuclear. Further work is however needed to arrive at more solid estimates of historical subsidies. The interim report also presents figures on the cost competitiveness of the different power generation technologies. The estimated ranges reflect costs of new power generation without public intervention (levelised costs). Costs for producing one MWh of electricity from coal are in a range around €75. Electricity from onshore wind is generated at only somewhat higher costs. Costs for power from nuclear and natural gas are in comparable ranges around €100/MWh. Solar power costs have fallen considerably since 2008 to about €100-115/MWh depending on the size of installations. The interim report also presents estimates on external costs across power generation technologies. These are costs that are not reflected in market prices, such as costs of environmental and health impacts and the impact of climate change. The methods for quantifying external costs come with a high degree of uncertainty, and the report only aims to identify orders of magnitude for external costs. It puts the figure of external costs of the EU's energy mix in 2012 at between €150 and 310 billion [europa.eu]

» October 13 2014 - Oil, markets, OPEC, Monthly Oil Market Report. Crude Oil Price Movements. The OPEC Reference Basket fell $4.77 to stand at $95.98/b in September, as sluggish demand and ample supply continue to weight on the oil market. Nymex WTI slipped $3.04/b to $93.03/b in September, while ICE Brent dropped $4.83 to $98.57/b. Speculative net length in ICE Brent was down almost 85% from the peak seen in June 2014. The Brent-WTI spread narrowed to $5.54/b, the lowest since July 2013. World Economy. Expectations for world economic growth in 2014 and 2015 remain unchanged at 3.2% and 3.6% respectively, following a re-basing on 2011 purchase power parity. The OECD is seen growing at 1.8% in 2014 and 2.1% in 2015, with the US experiencing a continued acceleration, while growth in the Euro-zone and Japan remains sluggish. China's figures remain unchanged at 7.4% in 2014 and 7.2% next year. Growth in India is also unchanged at 5.5% this year and 5.8% in 2015. World Oil Demand. Global oil demand growth in 2014 is anticipated to reach around 1.05 mb/d, unchanged from the previous report. Growth this year has been supported by positive performance of China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, offsetting lower-than-expected growth in some OECD regions. In 2015, world oil demand is forecast to rise by 1.19 mb/d, in line with last month's forecast. World Oil Supply. Non-OPEC oil supply growth in 2014 is forecast at 1.68 mb/d, in line with the previous report. Growth was seen coming mainly from the US, Brazil and Canada, while Mexico, Indonesia and the UK are expected to see a decline. Non-OPEC supply is expected to increase by 1.24 mb/d in 2015. OPEC NGLs is seen growing by 0.2 mb/d in 2015 to average 6.03 mb/d. In September, OPEC crude production averaged 30.47 mb/d according to secondary sources, an increase of 402 tb/d from the previous month [opec.org]

» October 13 2014 - Energy, Sub-Saharan Africa Development, IEA Special Report, WEO, World Energy Outlook. Energy sector is key to powering prosperity in sub-Saharan Africa. IEA World Energy Outlook Special Report finds that action in the energy sector could unleash an extra decade of growth. Increasing access to modern forms of energy is crucial to unlocking faster economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Africa Energy Outlook, a Special Report in the 2014 World Energy Outlook series. More than 620 million people in the region (two-thirds of the population) live without electricity, and nearly 730 million people rely on dangerous, inefficient forms of cooking. The use of solid biomass (mainly fuelwood and charcoal) outweighs that of all other fuels combined, and average electricity consumption per capita is not enough to power a single 50-watt light bulb continuously [iea.org]

» October 13 2014 - Oil, prices, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Brent. Iraq will sell its Basrah Light crude to Asia at the biggest discount since January 2009 as it follows Saudi Arabia and Iran in cutting prices amid a slump in Brent futures to the lowest in almost four years. Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, trimmed the price differentials for supplies to Asia and Europe for November, the country's State Oil Marketing Co., known as SOMO, said today. Futures slid as much as 3.6 percent in London to the lowest intraday level since December 2010, and West Texas Intermediate lost 1.8 percent after tumbling into a bear market last week. The world's two most-traded oil futures are collapsing as demand growth slows and output expands in the U.S., Russia and other nations. OPEC's biggest producers are responding by cutting prices, sparking speculation they are ready to compete for market share. Iran last week said it will sell oil to Asia in November at the biggest discount in almost six years, matching cuts by Saudi Arabia [bloomberg.com]

» October 13 2014 - Coal, China, tax, energy efficiency, emission reductions. China is planning to impose a tax on coal that will take effect on Dec 1, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday during an executive meeting of the State Council. The new levy will be a sales tax on coal and will replace the current tax based on output volume. "China's resource tax reform plan for the coal industry is a major step in the reform of the fiscal and taxation systems," the premier said. "Currently, the resource tax on oil and gas has been conducted thoroughly. Along with the new resource tax on coal, a dual pricing system on resources will be established." Jia Kang, head of the Research Institute for Fiscal Science of the Ministry of Finance, said reform of the coal tax will likely hike the price of coal and will result in greater energy efficiency, emissions reductions and a balancing of China's energy mix. He predicted that if the new coal tax is about 3 to 5 percent of the coal sales value, this will increase the tax on each metric ton of coal to up to 10 yuan ($1.60) per ton. China's coal sector has in recent years been hit hard by stagnant inventories and falling prices [usa.chinadaily.com.cn]

» October 12 2014 - Climate science, global warming, climate change, human activities, Climate Risk Management, paper. A probabilistic analysis of human influence on recent record global mean temperature changes. December 2013 was the 346th consecutive month where global land and ocean average surface temperature exceeded the 20th century monthly average, with February 1985 the last time mean temperature fell below this value. Even given these and other extraordinary statistics, public acceptance of human induced climate change and confidence in the supporting science has declined since 2007. The degree of uncertainty as to whether observed climate changes are due to human activity or are part of natural systems fluctuations remains a major stumbling block to effective adaptation action and risk management. Previous approaches to attribute change include qualitative expert-assessment approaches such as used in IPCC reports and use of 'fingerprinting' methods based on global climate models. Here we develop an alternative approach which provides a rigorous probabilistic statistical assessment of the link between observed climate changes and human activities in a way that can inform formal climate risk assessment. We construct and validate a time series model of anomalous global temperatures to June 2010, using rates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as other causal factors including solar radiation, volcanic forcing and the El Nino Southern Oscillation. When the effect of GHGs is removed, bootstrap simulation of the model reveals that there is less than a one in one hundred thousand chance of observing an unbroken sequence of 304 months (our analysis extends to June 2010) with mean surface temperature exceeding the 20th century average. We also show that one would expect a far greater number of short periods of falling global temperatures (as observed since 1998) if climate change was not occurring. This approach to assessing probabilities of human influence on global temperature could be transferred to other climate variables and extremes allowing enhanced formal risk assessment of climate change [sciencedirect.com]

» October 12 2014 - Nuclear power, UK, EU, Hinkley C. The European Commission announced this week that Britain's first new nuclear power plant for over twenty years does not violate state aid laws, and it now appears certain that it will be built. Hinkley C has been described as the "most expensive power plant ever built", "extremely expensive" and a "bad deal for consumers" by the usual assortment of green voices. Yet, the strike price agreed between the UK government and EDF for this power plant is no different to that agreed for onshore wind farms, less than it is for solar power and far less than for offshore wind. So, how is Hinkley C the most expensive power plant ever and a bad deal for consumers? Would consumers be better off if the UK government instead paid offshore wind farms £150/MWh for intermittent electricity as it is currently doing, instead of £92.50/MWh to a nuclear power plant for baseload electricity? Strangely, such important questions are not asked in the debate about the costs of this power plant. Or at least they are not asked by the loudest voices in the debate. Honest appraisals of this deal are in low supply. Let's get some simple things out of the way. This is a poor deal that has mostly resulted from political incompetence and mismanagement. Paying a French state owned company a guaranteed price of £92.50/MWh, and relying on a state owned Chinese firm to weigh in with a few billion in capital does seem rather strange. A more rational policy would be for the UK government to do the investing [theenergycollective.com]

» October 12 2014 - Climate finance, carbon price, carbon intensity, institutional investors portfolio, Montreal carbon pledge. There are increasing signs of a seismic shift in the response by business and finance to the threat of runaway climate change. Just days after more than a thousand businesses pushed for policies setting a price on carbon emissions to encourage a shift to cleaner energy technologies, some of the world's largest institutional investors have committed to act on the carbon intensity of their portfolios. The investors, along with the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which represents more than $45tn in assets under management, have announced the creation of the Montreal Carbon Pledge, which makes a commitment to measure and publicly disclose the carbon footprint of their entire investments on an annual basis. The PRI has ambitions for investors with a combined portfolio of $1tn to sign up ahead of the key global climate talks in Paris in December 2015, although this is still tiny when compared with the estimated total of more than $75tn in investable assets [theguardian.com]

» October 11 2014 - Oil, climate change, climate litigation, GHG producers, Canada, West Coast and University of British columbia report. Payback Time? What the internationalization of climate litigation could mean for Canadian oil and gas companies, by Andrew Gage, Staff Counsel at West Coast, and University of British Columbia professor Michael Byers, analyzes scenarios in which the legal landscape concerning climate damages litigation could suddenly and dramatically change. According to the study, the most serious risk to Canadian companies is not litigation in Canada. Because the impacts and causes of climate change are global, climate damages litigation could take place in, and apply the laws of, any of the countries where damage occurs. These countries may also choose to adopt new laws clarifying the legal rules around climate damages litigation, much as Canadian provinces did to facilitate tobacco litigation. As a result, large-scale greenhouse gas producers and their shareholders are exposed to significant legal risks that will only grow into the future. Payback time? then considers the total potential liability of five oil and gas companies currently trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange - EnCanada, Suncor, Canadian Natural Resources, Talisman, and Husky and finds these five companies could presently be incurring a global liability as high as $2.4 billion per year for their contribution to climate change. The study concludes that given the sheer number and diversity of potential venues for litigation, and the growing interest in pursuing it, civil liability for large-scale green house gas emitters is extremely likely, particularly as the costs associated with climate change rise [wcel.org]

» October 10 2014 - Energy, natural gas, geopolitcs, Russia, Gazprom. The Gazprom energy vision. On 7 October Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller made a remarkable speech at the IV St. Petersburg International Gas Forum on the global gas industry: "We believe that by the year 2050 natural gas will represent one third of the global energy mix and that the production volumes will exceed 7 trillion cubic meters per year. The share of LNG in the global trade, both in the medium and in the long term, will not change, but will stay at a level of 30%. The North American gas market will be solving its own problems during the next 10-20 years and shale gas will remain a regional market development - not a global one. The Asian-Pacific market is the most dynamic, fastest growing and also the most promising market. The share of gas transported through pipelines on the Asian-Pacific market and the Chinese market will grow steadily. Gazprom has entered the Asian-Pacific market this year with a very lucrative contract worth $ 400 billion over 30 years. But this is only the beginning, and the prospects for pipeline gas supplies to the Chinese market are simply enormous. Our shipments may grow in the short term up to 60 and even up to 100 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Looking at the cost structure in European industry we see that energy consumption in the production sector of European companies has increased. And most importantly, because of that, the competitiveness in the European production sector has decreased. Europe has built a large number of LNG terminals to diversify its supply base but they are only used at 20% capacity. The reason is that the European market has lost the battle with the Asia-Pacific LNG market when it comes to prices for LNG. There could be new approaches towards gas pricing. Such new approaches could replace spot markets and hubs on the European gas market that simply do not have enough liquidity and do not produce the right pricing signals. Gazprom is analysing and examining its own strategies which guided the company lately. The company is re-evaluating whether it is worth being everywhere on the value chain in Europe e.g. from production to retail. The European market isn't a buyer's market now and Gazprom may be more selective in pursuing projects it already planned because reaching end users in Europe doesn't necessarily work. This does not mean that Gazprom will abandon some projects, but it does mean that there will be changes. This year we will extract 463 billion cubic meters of gas but our annual production rate is 617 bcm which means Gazprom has excess capacity. This is needed so we can react to the demands of the market and also pass this winter calmly. The gas market has developed very quickly in all the regions of the world and strategies that guided the companies in those markets have very quickly became obsolete. All the players in the gas markets in North America, the Asia-Pacific and the EU face the challenge to design new strategies and have new approaches. The 20th century was the century of oil. The 21st century is the century of gas [energypost.eu]

» October 10 2014 - Crude oil, refined oil products, biofuel, UE antitrust. The European Commission can confirm that on 7 October 2014, Commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the production, distribution and trading of ethanol, a biofuel. These inspections took place in two EU Member States. They follow inspections that the Commission and the EFTA Surveillance Authority undertook in May 2013 in the crude oil, refined oil products and biofuel sectors (see MEMO/13/435). The Commission has concerns that price benchmarks may have been distorted through anti-competitive behaviour, including through possible collusion when submitting price information to a Price Reporting Agency. Such behaviour, if established, may amount to violations of European antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and abuses of a dominant market position (Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and Articles 53 and 54 of the EEA Agreement) [europa.eu]

» October 10 2014 - Climate change, disaster risk reduction. World Disasters Report 2014 - "Culture and Risk". The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) annual World Disasters Report is this year on the topic of Culture and Risk, and examines how culture must be included in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction to make it more effective. The report will be free to download from 16th October [ifrc.org]

» October 10 2014 - Nuclear Power, UK, state aid rules. Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation will cost at least £24.5bn, EU regulators have disclosed, as they approved a 35-year subsidy contract for the project at Hinkley Point in Somerset. The cost is far higher than the £16bn previously cited by developer EDF Energy predominantly because it includes, for the first time, the interest costs during the decade-long construction period. It is also in nominal terms, while the £16bn was in 2012 prices. Joaquin Almunia, the EU Competition Commissioner, disclosed that the total cost could be as high as £34bn, a figure that Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy chief executive, said included the maximum EDF could have to put into the project in a worst-case scenario if there were "huge problems". Under a deal with the Government, agreed a year ago, UK energy bill-payers will guarantee EDF and its partners a price of £92.50 - twice the current market price of electricity - for each megawatt-hour of power that the plant's twin reactors generate over a 35-year period [telegraph.co.uk]

» October 10 2014 - Natural gas, Australia, unconventional resources, LNG. The Federal Government's Energy Green Paper has highlighted the need for unconventional gas resources on the eastern coast, as conventional resources are depleted in the lead up to LNG exports from Gladstone. The paper singles out New South Wales and Victoria as having unnecessary regulatory and planning barriers preventing much needed supply, while calling for improved transparency and competition within the market. Launching the Green Paper at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne, Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the Government's focus is to enhance competition, innovation and productivity in the energy sector [gastoday.com.au]

» October 09 2014 - Natural gas, Russia, China, pipeline, geopolitics. China's CNPC has received government permission to start a preliminary engineering project of the Chinese part of Russia's Power of Siberia gas pipeline and will start laying the pipeline in January-June 2015, the company said in a statement Thursday. The construction of the part going from the city of Heihe in northeast China to Shanghai will be finished and Power of Siberia will be launched in 2018. The construction of the Russian part of the pipeline began on September 1. Russia-China gas contract. In May, Gazprom signed a US $400 billion 30-year contract with CNPC. to supply 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China. The contract envisages delivery of 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China annually [en.itar-tass.com]

» October 09 2014 - Wind farms, wind flow test, DNV GL, E.ON. DNV GL, a leading global energy advisory and testing authority, announced that it has achieved the highest score in a wind flow modelling blind test organised by E.ON, a leading power and gas company. The blind test challenged six participants, including some of the most reputable consultancies in the global wind industry, to accurately predict the wind regime at eight wind farm sites. The most attractive wind farm sites are often found at locations where the wind conditions are difficult to quantify. Examples include sites affected by atmospheric stability, exposed and hilly sites as well as wind farms in or near forests. An ongoing challenge for the wind industry is to accurately predict the variation of wind speed across such "complex" sites in order to determine a credible estimate for the energy output of the project in question. If these predictions can be made more accurately, even by a relatively small amount, it leads to a direct improvement in the financing conditions available to project developers - thereby reducing the cost of electricity delivered to the grid and improving returns. DNV GL has been developing improved methods for predicting wind flow on complex sites for more than two decades and in recent years has developed cutting edge Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques to boost accuracy further [dnvgl.com]

» October 09 2014 - Urban transit system, Public transport, University of California and Institute for Transportation and Development Policy Report. A Global High Shift Scenario: Impacts And Potential For More Public Transport, Walking, And Cycling With Lower Car Use. According to this report, a global shift toward investments in clean urban transit systems designed to get people out of their cars could save more than $100 million in public and private spending between now and 2050 and cut carbon emissions by as much as 1,700 megatons a year in 2050. Designing cities that offer people "clean options for using public transportation, walking and cycling” are an affordable strategy for cutting “global warming pollution," [itdp.org]

» October 08 2014 - Oil, production, price, US, Libya, EIA. The price of North Sea Brent crude oil has fallen to around $91 per barrel, the lowest level in more than two years and about 21% lower than its year-to-date peak of $115 per barrel on June 19. Before its recent decline, average monthly Brent spot prices had traded within a narrow $5 per barrel range, from $107 to $112 per barrel, for 13 consecutive months through July 2014. During that period of low price volatility, substantial oil supply disruptions in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) were offset by increases in U.S. production and weaker-than-expected global demand. More recently, however, the resumption of significant Libyan oil production, combined with the weakening outlook for global oil demand, has put downward pressure on prices. The sustained increase in Libyan production over the summer-increasing from 200,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) in June to 900,000 bbl/d at the end of September-has added supplies to an already well-supplied light sweet crude market in the Atlantic Basin, despite the fact that Libya's recent production has not come close to its previous level of 1.65 million bbl/d in 2010 and 2011, before fighting that occurred during the Arab Spring. Over the past several years, increasing U.S. light sweet crude production has significantly reduced light sweet crude imports to the United States. Those reduced imports, which were sourced primarily from Africa, became available to replace Libyan production lost during a time of civil war and subsequent unrest. While Libyan production was disrupted, supply and demand in the Atlantic Basin was relatively balanced. However, as Libyan production has returned and has remained largely online despite internal unrest, the price of Brent crude oil has fallen. Although the return of significant Libyan production has been an important factor putting downward pressure on the Brent price, weakening global demand, particularly in Europe and Asia, is also important. Economic growth in 2014 outside of the United States has been slow, and recent data releases appear to confirm lower-than-expected growth, particularly in Asia and Europe. China reported that its industrial production has risen at the slowest pace since 2008. In Europe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has reduced expectations for economic growth through 2015 after data showed second-quarter 2014 gross domestic product (GDP) fell in Germany and Italy and stagnated in France [eia.gov]

» October 08 2014 - Oil, oil contracts, Iran, sanctions. Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh has said that the country's new model of oil contracts is to be finalized soon. [...] Iran plans to unveil the new type of its oil contracts in London in February next year in an attempt to attract foreign investors provided that the Western governments lift their sanctions against Tehran. [...] Iran is also poised to introduce a new model of oil contracts, known as Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) to replace "buy-back" contracts which, he added, are no longer attractive to foreign companies. Under a buyback deal, the host government agrees to pay the contractor an agreed price for all volumes of hydrocarbons the contractor produces. But under the IPC, NIOC will set up joint ventures for crude oil and gas production with international companies which will be paid with a share of the output. Foreign companies are expected to rush back to Iran as hopes soar for relief in sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program [shana.ir]

» October 08 2014 - Oil prices, geopolitics, Russia, US, EU. Falling oil prices are inflicting deeper economic pain on Russia's economy, which is already reeling from EU and U.S. sanctions. Russia is currently considering its budget for 2015-2017, and based on the numbers, the Kremlin is planning for leaner times. With oil revenue accounting for around half of the country's budget, any dip in prices has a ripple effect. And in recent years, Russia's economy has become more dependent on oil to meet its budget commitments. Excluding oil revenue, Russia has run a budget deficit that hit 10.3 percent in 2013, the highest level in three years. In other words, the government needs oil revenues to plug budget holes, and that need is growing [oilprice.com]

» October 08 2014 - Climate change, climate policy, 2015 agreement. Alternative Models for the 2015 Climate Change Agreement. A primary goal of the Durban Platform negotiations should be to develop an agreement that will maximize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over time. Achieving this objective will be a function of not only the ambition of the 2015 agreement, but also the levels of participation and compliance by states. A higher level of ambition will not necessarily make the agreement more effective, if fewer states participate or comply. In general, international agreements can serve a contractual, prescriptive, or facilitative function. In the climate change context, the contractual and prescriptive models are not politically realistic at this time, so the 2015 agreement should focus on the law's catalytic and facilitative roles. Although the Durban Platform negotiations still have a long way to go, the decision adopted last year at COP-19 in Warsaw suggests that the 2015 agreement will have a hybrid quality, which seeks to balance national flexibility and international discipline. In many if not most countries, the climate change issue is driven more by national than by international politics, so the agreement needs to allow states to determine the content of their own commitments. This approach represents a concession to political and diplomatic realities, as well as to the limits of international agreements in influencing countries' behavior in an area so vital to their interests. At the same time, the 2015 agreement needs to prod states to do as much as possible, through multilateral rules on transparency and accountability that help foster a virtuous cycle, in which states make progressively more ambitious contributions. Thus far, the top-down elements of the hybrid approach remain largely an abstraction. What remains to be seen is whether parties will be able to agree on rules that sufficiently discipline national flexibility and promote stronger ambition [fni.no]

» October 07 2014 - Eni, 2014 World Oil and Gas Review. Eni has announced the publication of the thirteenth edition of the World Oil and Gas Review, the annual statistical review of the world's oil and gas market and refining system. 2013 saw a slight increase in world oil reserves thanks to the contribution of non-OPEC countries, firstly the United States (+9.8% on the previous year). The United States led the increase in crude production with an increase of 12.2% compared with 2012, thanks to the contribution of tight oil, which more than made up for the fall in production in Iran and Libya (-9.8% and -35.5% respectively). Global oil demand continues to grow (+1.4%). For the first time since the beginning of the global economic crisis, 2013 also saw a positive trend in OECD countries. Growth was driven by the United States which remains the world's biggest consumer of oil, while the continuing economic crisis in Europe led to a slight fall (-0.7% vs. 2012). In the refining industry Europe is engaged in a tough rationalisation process (there has been a fall in capacity of around 2 million b/d from pre-crisis levels). The availability of low-cost crude has re-launched the competitiveness of refining in the USA. Asia-Pacific and the Middle East confirm the trend of recent years in investments in new refining capacity. In the gas market, shale has made the USA the leader in production for the second year running and reserves have increased by over 5%. On a global basis, gas reserves continue to grow, also thanks to new discoveries such as that in Mozambique. There was a modest increase in global gas consumption in 2013 (around 1% vs. and average of 2.5% between 2000 and 2013). The wide availability of domestically produced gas in the USA helped to drive an increase in consumption (+2% vs. 2012) confirming the country's position as the world's largest consumer of gas [eni.com]

» October 07 2014 - Energy market, EU internal energy market, ACER (Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators). Recommendation of the Agency on the regulatory response to the future challenges emerging from developments in the internal energy market. This document contains European energy regulators' considered conclusions on the regulatory challenges we expect will emerge over the coming decade from the development of the Internal Energy Market (IEM) [...] The IEM will increasingly deliver tangible benefits to European energy consumers and so its completion remains a top priority for the Agency and for National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). The Commission's President designate has announced the objective of a European Energy Union and has proposed the appointment of a Vice President for Energy Union and Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy. This clearly indicates that European energy market integration is likely to receive a renewed impulse and IEM competition remains a top priority. Therefore, in the immediate future, the regulatory focus will continue to be on the development and implementation of the Network Codes, Guidelines and other measures which are fundamental to the achievement of full energy market integration. Nevertheless, we consider that it is essential that we also look further ahead from the perspective of energy regulators to examine the challenges that we expect the energy sector will face after the full implementation of the existing rules, including the development of retail market competition, so that the benefits of the IEM feed through to energy consumers. In this way, all those involved in the development of the IEM can be informed, and the Agency and NRAs, including through CEER, can develop a regulatory response which will remain fit for the purpose [acer.europa.eu]

» October 07 2014 - Natural gas, CO2 emissions, climate change, US energy plan, economic base study. A recent report from the Global Carbon Project on 2013 carbon dioxide emissions found that we set a new record of 36 billion tons of CO2. The amount is predicted to increase by another 2.5 percent in 2014. President Obama's energy plan to reduce carbon emissions positions natural gas as the great bridge fuel, as its carbon emissions are half that of coal. Other coal still accounts for 39 percent of U.S. electricity generation. Natural gas extraction through fracking is booming, so much so that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week approved the highly contested $3.8 billion Cove Point natural gas processing and export facility, located in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. This is the third such natural gas facility that the U.S. Department of Energy has approved this month. With study after study implicating fracking for its link to earthquakes, groundwater, pollution, underestimating methane release, and even cancer and birth defects, a new economic base study has been published in the journal of Environmental Research Letters by the University of California, Irvine; Stanford University; and the Seattle-based nonprofit Near Zero. The study looks at the implications of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and whether natural gas can function as a short-term bridge as we transition to renewable energy [therealnews.com]

» October 06 2014 - Energy storage, battery, storage technologies, HSBC report. New report from HSBC says conventional generators will be the biggest losers from the upcoming energy storage boom, as both consumers and grid operators look to battery and other storage technologies. Conventional electricity generators have already received a battering from the revolution inspired by rooftop solar. Most fossil fuel generators - particularly those in Europe and Australia, are struggling to make a profit. But things are likely to get worse. The influx of battery storage is destined to further reduce demand from conventional generators. A major new analysis from global investment bank HSBC - Energy Storage, Power to the People – says the boom days for the fossil fuel generation are over. [...] The HSBC analysis looks at a range of storage technologies and how that will impact the conventional energy systems. Its major conclusion is that affordable battery storage will increase distributed generation - solar panels on household and business rooftops - and further reduce demand from the grid. On top of that, grid operators are also likely to use large-scale battery storage to balance demand and supply and for smart grid enhancements. That's more bad news for conventional power generators. Once again, it says, the revolution will be led by Germany, notwithstanding the major initiatives in California and China [reneweconomy.com.au]

» October 06 2014 - Oil, US crude export. The U.S. crude oil export debate rolls on, but what is often overlooked is the fact that rising production is finding its way to world markets. Platts Editorial Director for Americas Oil Markets, Richard Swann, addresses this phenomenon [plattstv.com]

» October 06 2014 - Smartgrid, microgrid, renewable energy, low carbon economy, Boston, US. Contrary to popular thinking, utility franchise rights aren't a big obstruction to microgrids in Massachusetts. That's the word from a legal analysis released this week by Harvard Law School at the request of the City of Boston. The city, which wants to see more microgrids within its borders, asked Harvard’s Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic to examine how state utility law affects microgrids. The report challenges the commonly held notion that utility franchise rights make it hard for microgrids to run wires across public roads in the state [microgridknowledge.com]

» October 04 2014 - Oil, crude, shale, Carabodo, Barash light, Venezuela, Iraq, US, bloomberg, IEA. Asia is getting a greater choice of crude from Alaska North Slope to Venezuela’s Carabobo and Iraqi Basrah Light as the U.S. shale boom cuts American demand for overseas oil. Crude from around the world is competing for buyers in Asia, says the Paris-based International Energy Agency. South Korea is taking the first Alaskan export cargo since 2004, Japanese traders are purchasing U.S. shipments of ultra-light oil from the Gulf of Mexico and India is buying more Latin American output. Asia will account for more than half of global demand growth this year. The U.S. shale revolution is changing the flow of oil and challenging the influence of traditional suppliers. Saudi Arabia, the biggest exporter, is cutting premiums to attract more Asian buyers, according to the IEA [bloomberg.com]

» October 03 2014 - Climate change, global warming, MIT Energy and Climate Outlook. Unless we change direction, the future world will be 3-5 C warmer, thirstier, still dependent on fossil fuels. Global temperature is likely to rise 3.3-5.6 C by the end of this century, unless international climate negotiations in Paris next year are more effective than expected, according to a report released Monday by the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. The predicted temperature increase surpasses the threshold identified by the United Nations as necessary to avoid the most serious impacts of climate change, altering precipitation patterns and heightening the pressures of population and economic growth [...] The 2014 Energy and Climate Outlook provides an integrated assessment of how human activities, given our current development path, are interacting with complex Earth systems and ultimately affecting the natural resources on which we depend. It uses a projection modeling system developed by MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, the Integrated Global Systems Model (IGSM) framework, to determine the associated energy, climate, atmosphere, ocean, and land-use implications. We provide a projection, not a prediction, as the future will ultimately be determined by actions taken over the next decades that are intended to stabilize our relationship with the planet. We incorporate the emissions targets currently proposed by the international community to address the challenges of climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached an accord in 2009 for the so-called Copenhagen pledges, which were further specified in the Cancun agreements. These pledges are set to expire in 2020. Our objective is to show how far the current 2020 pledges take us, and what is at risk if we fail to push beyond these emissions reduction goals. A principal product of this Outlook is a detailed set of economic, energy, land use, water stress, and emissions projections for each of the 16 major countries or regions of the world, through the year 2050. We provide this numerical data in the hopes that researchers and policymakers will find them useful for their own analyses [globalchange.mit.edu]

» October 03 2014 - Energy storage, renewable energy, EROEI, climate change. Several recent analyses of the inputs to our energy systems indicate that, against expectations, energy storage cannot solve the problem of intermittency of wind or solar power. Not for reasons of technical performance, cost, or storage capacity, but for something more intractable: there is not enough surplus energy left over after construction of the generators and the storage system to power our present civilization. The problem is analysed in an important paper by WeiBbach et al. (Energy intensities, EROIs, and energy payback times of electricity generating power plants) in terms of energy returned on energy invested, or EROEI - the ratio of the energy produced over the life of a power plant to the energy that was required to build it. It takes energy to make a power plant - to manufacture its components, mine the fuel, and so on. The power plant needs to make at least this much energy to break even. A break-even powerplant has an EROEI of 1. But such a plant would pointless, as there is no energy surplus to do the useful things we use energy for. There is a minimum EROEI, greater than 1, that is required for an energy source to be able to run society. An energy system must produce a surplus large enough to sustain things like food production, hospitals, and universities to train the engineers to build the plant, transport, construction, and all the elements of the civilization in which it is embedded. For countries like the US and Germany, WeiBbach et al. estimate this minimum viable EROEI to be about 7. An energy source with lower EROEI cannot sustain a society at those levels of complexity, structured along similar lines. If we are to transform our energy system, in particular to one without climate impacts, we need to pay close attention to the EROEI of the end result [bravenewclimate.com]

» October 03 2014 - Shale gas, UK. The UK Government appointed John Loughhead as Chief Scientific Advisor, betting on him to foster the British shale gas industry. Loughhead, currently Executive Director at UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), has a well-respected academic background. He is also the non-executive director at the R&D Board of the UK Ministry of Defence. "New technology is the driving force that is moving us to a low carbon economy, powering new jobs and green growth. With vast engineering experience across academia and the private sector, Professor Loughhead brings a depth of knowledge that will be invaluable in areas such as shale gas, as well as keeping the UK as an energy world leader and creating momentum towards a global climate change deal," Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey commented in a note. Loughhead mentioned that he will also be working on climate change [naturalgaseurope.com]

» October 03 2014 - Shale, oil, Eagle Ford, US. Oil production in the Eagle Ford shale region in Texas continues to increase due to more drilling operations and improved drilling efficiency. The region also generated more than $87 billion in economic output last year, according to the University of Texas at San Antonio. Producers in the region have raised the amount of horizontal drilling as well as hydraulic fracturing operations in the Eagle Ford, which has made it possible to increase production despite well decline rates, the UTSA stated. First-year decline rates in the Eagle Ford have moved between 60 and 70 percent, but second-year decline rates have increased from 30 percent in 2009 to 50 percent in 2011 and 2012. Typically, wells will have high production rates at the beginning, then see large decline rates until they level off. The increased output and faster decline in Eagle Ford shale wells can be attributed to fracking, which is known to increase initial production rates then causes a severe drop in production. [pennenergy.com]

» October 03 2014 - CO2 emissions, Carbon capture and storage, low carbon economy, IEA. The International Energy Agency (IEA) [...] welcomed the launch of the world's first large-scale power station equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, calling it a historic milestone along the road to a low-carbon energy future. The 110MW retrofit of SaskPower's Boundary Dam coal-fired power plant in Saskatchewan, Canada will trap around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. The captured CO2 will be injected into nearby oilfields to enhance oil recovery. The plant began capturing CO2 in September and was due to be inaugurated this week [...] Several CCS projects are under construction or in advanced stages of planning. Early 2015 should see the start of operations for another large power-CCS project in Kemper County, Mississippi. Further projects are currently under construction elsewhere in the United States and Canada plus Saudi Arabia and Australia [iea.org]

» October 02 2014 - Climate change, low carbon economy, Australia, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's Pathways to Deep Decarbonization project report. Pathways to Deep Decarbonisation in 2050: How Australia can prosper in a low carbon world.The report presents an illustrative deep decarbonisation pathway for Australia - just one of many possible pathways - developed using a combination of well-established modelling tools to identify feasible and least-cost options. The frame of reference for the analysis is that all countries decarbonise by 2050, consistent with the objective of limiting the increase in global mean surface temperature to 2C in order to avoid dangerous climate change [..] This report is part of the global Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (DDPP), which aims to understand and show how countries can transition to a very low-carbon economy. The project comprises 15 countries representing over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is convened under the auspices of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) [climateworksaustralia.org]

» October 02 2014 - Coal, Poland, Russia. Poland to adopt new law to limit Russian coal imports. A draft law that will introduce quality control checks on coal and may reduce Russian imports to Poland will have its first reading in Parliament on Wednesday, deputy Economy Minister Tomasz Tomczykiewicz said late Tuesday. "There will be the first reading tomorrow of one of the fuel quality laws, which extends these regulations to include coal, which earlier was not covered by any quality checks," Tomczykiewicz told Polish Radio. Asked if the law was directed primarily towards Russian coal imports because they are the cheapest and account for the bulk of all imports, the minister replied: "That is true. Of course these rules will apply to all coal, even those supplied by Polish companies." Reducing coal imports from Russia was one of the demands of Polish miners who stopped trains carrying Russian coal from entering Poland by blocking the tracks last week. Tomczykiewicz said the draft law, which has the support of opposition parties, could be adopted as soon as next week [platts.com]

» October 02 2014 - Climate change, public ethics, low carbon economy, China, China's greenhouse gas emissions now surpass the combined total of the United Sates and the European Union. When measured on a per person basis, the average Chinese is responsible for more damage to the climate than the average European. The gaps will become wider. Unless China soon stops and reverses the rampant growth of its carbon emissions there will be no chance of preventing the descent into an unliveable planet. So global hopes for preventing climatic catastrophe, or at least avoiding the worst, now depend, more than on any other factor, on how China's political and economic system responds to the deafening alarm bells being rung by the world's climate scientists. In practical terms this means rapidly weaning the booming Chinese economy off fossil fuels, and first and foremost coal. The West can hardly complain that its citizens' future now lies in the hands of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, for it was our refusal to accept responsibility when we had the chance that ceded it to them [clivehamilton.com]

» October 01 2014 - Climate change, low carbon economy, Certified emission reductions (CERs). The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is planning to publish an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) within the next few weeks. UNOPS invites all project developers and carbon offsets traders to respond to the invitation to bid and offer credits that satisfy the quality requirements spelled out in the technical specifications. During last week's Climate Summit Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the entire United Nations system is stepping up its efforts to minimize its environmental impact: "The United Nations is doing its part. We will be climate neutral by 2020." [ungm.org]

» October 01 2014 - Oil markets, prices, stress scenarios, Russia. A world oil price plunge to $60 per barrel is an unlikely scenario, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday. "We believe this is unlikely," the finance minister said, adding the budget of Saudi Arabia, a major oil exporter, was balanced at the oil price of $80-85 per barrel. Russia's draft budget for 2015, which envisages a deficit of 0.6% of GDP, is based on an oil price of $96 per barrel. The Russian finance minister said the ministry has not examined a stress scenario of an oil plunge to $60 per barrel. "We had a stress scenario of $80 per barrel," Siluanov said. The Russian government has mapped out a number of measures, if world oil prices fall sharply, the finance minister said. "In this case, we plan to use the unallocated reserve in the budget. It totals 70 billion rubles [$1.7 billion at the current exchange rate] so far but we hope to increase it by 100 billion rubles [$2.5 billion]," the finance minister said [en.itar-tass.com]

» October 01 2014 - Renewable energy, 100% RE strategies, World future council report. The World Future Council, in collaboration with Berlin-based E3 Analytics, has recently published a new report analyzing how jurisdictions around the world can achieve 100% renewable energy. The report looks at eight (8) jurisdictions around the world and provides an overview of the progress made in transitioning to 100% renewable energy in the electricity, heating/cooling, and transport sectors, including Denmark, Cape Verde, Tuvalu, and Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. After analyzing how the various practical and political challenges are being overcome, the report highlights five (5) key findings, as well as five (5) policy recommendations aimed at both policymakers and practitioners from around the world: In addition to providing valuable data and insights into a variety of 100% RE strategies, the report makes it clear that achieving 100% is both realistic, and affordable, and can be done using today’s technologies [worldfuturecouncil.org]

» October 01 2014 - Geopolitics, Qatar, gas, foreign policy. The tiny, gas-rich emirate has pumped tens of millions of dollars through obscure funding networks to hard-line Syrian rebels and extremist Salafists, building a foreign policy that punches above its weight. [...] For years, U.S. officials have been willing to shrug off Doha's proxy network -- or even take advantage of it from time to time. Qatar's neighbors, however, have not. Over the past year, fellow Gulf countries Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have publicly rebuked Qatar for its support of political Islamists across the region. These countries have threatened to close land borders or suspend Qatar's membership in the regional Gulf Cooperation Council unless the country backs down. After nearly a year of pressure, the first sign of a Qatari concession came on Sept. 13, when seven senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood figures left Doha at the request of the Qatari government [foreignpolicy.com]

» September 30 2014 - Natural gas, renewable energy, carbon emisions, US, Environmental Research Letters article. The effect of natural gas supply on US renewable energy and CO2 emissions. Increased use of natural gas has been promoted as a means of decarbonizing the US power sector, because of superior generator efficiency and lower CO2 emissions per unit of electricity than coal. We model the effect of different gas supplies on the US power sector and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Across a range of climate policies, we find that abundant natural gas decreases use of both coal and renewable energy technologies in the future. Without a climate policy, overall electricity use also increases as the gas supply increases. With reduced deployment of lower-carbon renewable energies and increased electricity consumption, the effect of higher gas supplies on GHG emissions is small: cumulative emissions 2013–55 in our high gas supply scenario are 2% less than in our low gas supply scenario, when there are no new climate policies and a methane leakage rate of 1.5% is assumed. Assuming leakage rates of 0 or 3% does not substantially alter this finding. In our results, only climate policies bring about a significant reduction in future CO2 emissions within the US electricity sector. Our results suggest that without strong limits on GHG emissions or policies that explicitly encourage renewable electricity, abundant natural gas may actually slow the process of decarbonization, primarily by delaying deployment of renewable energy technologies [Environmental Research Letters - iopscience.iop.org]

» September 30 2014 - Climate change, China, climate policy. China Carbon Forum began a new initiative: CCF Insights. CCF Insights is aimed at enhancing engagement with our network and will be distributed regularly, covering topical and relevant issues relating to climate change policy in China [chinacarbon.info]

» September 30 2014 - Climate change, carbon emissions, climate policy. Cumulative emissions and climate policy. The emerging scientific focus on cumulative carbon emissions may make climate negotiations harder. But, it serves to clarify the scale and scope of climate mitigation needed to meet potential temperature targets [nature.com]

» September 29 2014 - Renewable energy, Japan. Japan has added 11,090 megawatts of clean energy capacity since July 2012, when it began an incentive program to encourage investment in renewables, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Of the total, Japan has added 10,880 megawatts of solar capacity through the end of June, according to METI data updated on Sept. 26. Japan has approved 71,780 megawatts of renewable energy projects, according to the ministry data. Solar accounts for 96 percent of the approved capacity [bnef.com]

» September 29 2014 - Natural gas, LNG, Argentina. Argentina has been actively seeking deferral of LNG cargoes recently as warmer-than-average temperatures in the capital city of Buenos Aires have reduced domestic demand for natural gas. While Enarsa has reportedly contacted several of its LNG suppliers in an attempt to defer the arrival of cargoes delivering during the fourth quarter, delays in current deliveries have also been seen. Vessels in queue include the 161,337 cubic meter Lobito, which has been off the coast of Bahia Blanca for more than 12 days [platts.com]

» September 29 2014 - Renewable energy, coal, EU. Can bioenergy replace coal? Europe wants 27 percent of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030. Bioenergy has the potential to help the continent reach that goal, but it requires an industry comeback. Like all renewable energy in the European Union, bioenergy has struggled against low-priced coal imports, low carbon dioxide prices in the emissions-trading system, and an economic and regulatory backlash against renewable-energy policies, including substantial cuts in government support. But don't count out biomass-based energy just yet. Although today it fails to compete on cost with other renewables such as wind and solar, we believe bioenergy not only has the potential to significantly improve but could even become cost competitive with coal [mckinsey.com]

» September 29 2014 - Natural gas, Russia, Ukraine, UE. Russian brinkmanship over energy supplies to Europe is peaking, yet the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia apparently reached a deal to keep natural gas flowing, preventing millions from freezing this winter. [...] Ukraine gets to replenish its half-empty storage tanks; Russia gets at least some of the money Ukraine owes it. And by promising to sell Ukraine modest volumes over the next six months at a reasonable price, the deal undercuts Europe's newfound business of reselling gas to Ukraine. Europe, for its part, would see fears of a supply crunch recede: The more gas Ukraine has, the less likely Kiev is to tap into transit gas flows that pass through the country on their way to other customers in Europe, as happened in the past. That's especially important for vulnerable countries in southeastern Europe [foreignpolicy.com]

» September 26 2014 - Natural gas, prices, reserves, unconventional gas, EU supply. The current boom in unconventional natural gas extraction, largely confined to North America over the past decade, seems poised for continued growth and international expansion in the years ahead. With Asia and Europe expected to utilize natural gas to meet a greater share of their energy demands, while largely lagging behind in the development of their domestic natural gas reserves, the stage is set for imports of the commodity to surge. The August 2014 issue of ZE DataWatch tackles the demand-side dynamics underpinning the future of natural gas markets, in a follow up to last month's in-depth exploration of the factors surrounding natural gas supply. However, after considering both sides of the market in isolation, it's worth reflecting on the potential scenarios arising from their interaction. In the three months prior to September 2014, the World Bank's monthly average natural gas index dropped by 12% globally, in part due to higher storage levels and consistent streams from existing reserves. This downward pressure has caused prices to sink to $9 USD/MMbtu in Europe, despite geopolitical upheaval; just below $4 USD/MMbtu in North America; and under $16 USD/MMbtu for landed LNG cargoes in Asia. Regular seasonal easing accounts for some of the drop, but price forecasts remain relatively depressed through the winter heating season and into 2015. While this may be good news for commercial consumers, the persistence of this downward trend will have negative impacts on the arbitrage opportunities projected to drive much of the investment in supply over the next decade [blog.ze.com]

» September 26 2014 - Key World Energy Statistics IEA, 2014 edition. An electronic version of the 2014 edition of the Key World Energy Statistics - the International Energy Agency's free, easy-to-consult reference tool - is now available for download, offering the most important statistics on production, transformation and consumption of energy, as well as CO2 emissions, in more than 140 countries and regions, with global and regional overviews. Published each year since 1997, the booklet presents 16 different headline statistics for each country, from gross domestic product to total primary energy supply to energy production to CO2 emissions per capita. Overview sections offer graphs showing energy output, generation or refining, and consumption by region, fuel or sector from 1973 through to 2013, with pie charts demonstrating differences for these two time periods. Other sections present energy-related CO2 emissions, energy projections, and various market and retail prices for select fuels and countries [energypost.eu]

» September 26 2014 - Gas, EU energy security, shock winter risk, Ukraine, Russia. Major investment in European gas storage, transmission and emergency planning make a repeat of the 2009 gas shock unlikely this winter, market observers say, even if Russia trims exports to retaliate against western sanctions. That should be comforting news to EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, who is meeting with energy ministers from Ukraine and Russia (Yuriy Prodan and Alexander Novak) on Friday in Berlin. But analysts do caution that the EU-s long-term energy security rests on further market integration and diversification [energypost.eu]

» September 26 2014 - Oil and gas, world reserves, OPEC Annual statistical bullettin 2014. The OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin (ASB) contains about 100 pages of tables, charts and graphs detailing the world's oil and gas reserves, crude oil and product output, exports, refining, tankers, plus economic and other data [opec.org]

» September 25 2014 - Climate change, mitigation costs, Nature paper. Climate change mitigation can benefit human health by reducing air pollution. Research now shows that the economic value of health improvements can substantially outweigh mitigation costs, and that more flexible policies could have higher benefits [nature.com]

» September 25 2014 - Climate change, UN NYºC summit, Oil and gas climate initiative. The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative announced by Saudi Aramco on behalf of others engaged, including BG Group, Eni, PEMEX and TOTAL aims to build a platform to share best practices within the industry, address key climate risks, and catalyze meaningful action and coordination on climate change in areas such as energy access, renewable energy, energy efficiency, reduction of gas flaring and methane emissions, among others - followed by regular reporting on ongoing efforts [un.org]

» September 25 2014 - Natural gas, pipeline, BP, Azerbaijan, South Stream, EU, geopolitics. British Petroleum's Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) said it has begun construction of the Azeri pipeline project, according to a company release. At the Southern Gas Corridor, the pipeline is expected to eventually transport 16 billion cubic meters per year of gas from the Shah Deniz gas field, the largest natural gas field in Azerbaijan and one of the biggest in the world. The pipeline system will stretch 3,500 kilometers and provide energy supplies to Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Italy, said BP CEO Bob Dudley. The pipeline may reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas supplies, according to Bloomberg [pennenergy.com]

» September 24 2014 - EU energy policy, energy security, unconventional sources of fossil fuel, shale gas, geopolitics, OPEC, Oil, Gas & Energy Law Journal paper. Unconventional Energy Sources and EU Energy Security: A Legal, Economic and Political Analysis. This paper examines the system of law and governance of international trade in unconventional energy sources. Currently, there is no cohesive governance for global energy trade. On the contrary, governance of energy trade mainly arises by default, rather than design, through the ad hoc interplay of different aspects of the international economic and political system. This has implications for the European Union (EU), which relies heavily on the rest of the world for its energy supply, and consequently its energy security. The paper provides some background to EU energy policy; it then explains the current revolution of unconventional sources of fossil fuel and how it may geopolitically impact the EU. The last section concludes the paper and provides some policy recommendations [papers.ssrn.com]

» September 24 2014 - Oil, refineries, Saudi Arabia, EU. Saudi Arabia's newest oil refinery reached full capacity last month, adding to international competition that Total SA and Vitol SA said will force more European plants to close. The Satorp refinery, a venture between Total and Saudi Arabian Oil Co., processed crude at full capacity of 400,000 barrels a day on Aug. 1, Patrick Pouyanne, Total's president of refining and chemicals, said at a conference in Brussels today. Europe's refineries are too small and not sophisticated enough to compete with new plants, Chris Bake, executive director at Vitol, the world's largest oil trader, said at a separate conference in Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates [...] European refineries are shutting or converting to storage depots at the fastest pace since the 1980s after demand for oil products dropped for seven years and competition from other regions intensified. Seventeen plants closed in the past six years, according to the International Energy Agency, the Paris-based adviser to 29 nations. Another 10 refineries need to close, equating to 1.5 million to 2 million barrels of daily capacity [bloomberg.com]

» September 24 2014 - Oil, fossil fuel assests, climate change UN summit, Global Divest-Invest. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is joining a coalition of philanthropists pledging to rid themselves of more than $50bn (£31bn) in fossil fuel assets. The announcement was made on Monday, a day before the UN climate change summit opens on Tuesday. Some 650 individuals and 180 institutions have joined the coalition. It is part of a growing global initiative called Global Divest-Invest, which began on university campuses several years ago, the New York Times reports. Pledges from pension funds, religious groups and big universities have reportedly doubled since the start of 2014 [bbc.com]

» September 24 2014 - Climate change, NY UN summit. World leaders are meeting at the United Nations for a summit that is intended to set the stage for global negotiations later this year in Lima and next year in Paris, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the threat of global climate change. The negotiations are at an important crossroad. Twenty years ago at the original "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro, the nations of the world enacted the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and established two key principles. One was the goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The other was that the governments should protect the climate system "on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities." This second principle signaled the conviction that although the climate problem is a global issue, with all countries contributing, rich nations had historically contributed more to the atmospheric stock of greenhouse gases than others. Listed in Annex I of the Convention, the wealthy nations were committed to take actions [...] Since 1990, the base year of the Kyoto Protocol, emissions have grown by approximately 5 percent annually in the non-Annex I countries, while remaining about flat in the Annex I nations. Furthermore, the dichotomous structure effectively quadrupled the global cost of emission abatement necessary to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, relative to a cost-minimizing scenario [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu]

» September 23 2014 - Oil, drop in prices, economic growth, debt bubble collapse. [...] Falling commodity prices are bad news. It likely means that the debt bubble which has been holding up the world economy for a very long-since World War II, at least-is failing to expand sufficiently. If the debt bubble collapses, we will be in huge difficulty. Many people have the impression that falling oil prices mean that the cost of production is falling, and thus that the feared "peak oil" is far in the distance. This is not the correct interpretation, especially when many types of commodities are decreasing in price at the same time. When prices are set in a world market, the big issue is affordability. Even if food, oil and coal are close to necessities, consumers can't pay more than they can afford. A person can tell [...] that since the first part of 2011, the prices of Brent oil, Australian coal, and food have been trending downward. This drop in prices continues into September. For example, [...] Brent oil price is $97.70, while the average price for the latest month shown (August) is $105.27. It is this steeper, recent drop, which many are concerned about [oilprice.com]

» September 23 2014 - Climate change, global investors report. World's leading institutional investors managing $24 trillion call for carbon pricing, ambitious global climate deal. Ahead of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Climate Summit at the United Nations to spur climate action and facilitate a global climate agreement in 2015, nearly 350 global institutional investors representing over $24 trillion in assets have called on government leaders to provide stable, reliable and economically meaningful carbon pricing that helps redirect investment commensurate with the scale of the climate change challenge, as well as develop plans to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels. 2014 Global investor statement [investorsonclimatechange.org]

» September 23 2014 - Climate change, UN summit, UK, Cameron controversy. Prime Minister David Cameron is joining more than 120 world leaders, including US president Barack Obama, today at a summit convened by United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon with the intention of restoring momentum to the international battle against climate change. Downing Street said Mr Cameron will press for strong and early commitments from the international community ahead of next year's Paris conference, when a new global deal on action to limit climate change is planned. He will make clear that he will push for a target of at least 40% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in Europe when he meets fellow EU leaders next month. But the Prime Minister risks sparking controversy by arguing that the fight to limit global warning to 2C should be seen as an opportunity for economic growth, calling on governments to cut "green tape" to encourage investment in new technologies such as shale gas [energyvoice.com]

» September 23 2014 - Oil, crude prices, world oil demand, world oil supply, OPEC MOMR. Monthly Oil Market Report, 09-14. Crude Oil Price Movements. The OPEC Reference Basket fell by $4.86 in August to stand at $100.75/b. Nymex WTI declined by $6.32 to $96.08/b and ICE Brent dropped $4.79 to $103.40/b. Speculators sharply cut net long positions amid ample supply and low demand. The Brent-WTI spread widened to around $7.30/b as stock draws at Cushing, Oklahoma, have finally stalled. World Economy. World economic growth for 2014 and 2015 remains unchanged at 3.1% and 3.4% respectively. A better-than-expected US GDP in 2Q14 was offset by on-going challenges in the Euro-zone and a large decline in 2Q14 GDP growth in Japan. This kept the OECD GDP growth forecast at 1.8% in 2014 and 2.0% in 2015. Expectations for China and India remain unchanged, with China growing at 7.4% and 7.2%, and India at 5.5% and 5.8%. Brazil has been revised down to 0.7% in 2014 and 1.4% in 2015, and Russia's GDP growth forecast has also been lowered to 0.3% in 2014 and 1.1% in 2015. World Oil Demand. World oil demand growth in 2014 is expected to reach 1.05 mb/d, following a downward revision of around 50 tb/d, mainly due to the weaker-than-expected performance of the OECD region. In 2015, world oil demand is forecast to increase by 1.19 mb/d, representing a marginal downward adjustment, as an upward revision in the non-OECD region was offset by slower OECD growth. World Oil Supply. Non-OPEC oil supply growth is expected to increase by 1.68 mb/d in 2014, following an upward revision of 180 tb/d from last month. In 2015, non-OPEC oil supply is projected to grow by 1.24 mb/d, representing a downward adjustment of 30 tb/d from the previous forecast. OPEC NGLs and non-conventional liquids are forecast to grow by 0.2 mb/d in 2015 to average 6.03 mb/d. In August, OPEC crude oil production according to secondary sources increased by 231 tb/d to average 30.35 mb/d [opec.org]

» September 22 2014 - Renewable energy, global energy investment, Ernst & Young RECAI (Renewable energy country attractiveness index) issue 42. There really are renewable energy opportunities everywhere and for everyone. Recent BNEF analysis forecasts that US$5t of an estimated US$7.7t of global energy investment could be spent on renewables by 2030, but the exciting reality is that this will encompass both life-changing access to residential-scale power for the world's poorest communities, as well as mega-scale projects that will accelerate us toward grid parity and beyond. It will encompass billions of dollars of investment from mainstream lenders, institutional investors and major corporates, as well as little as US$25 from thousands or even millions of crowdfunders and cooperatives. And it will encompass increased renewables deployment across all corners of the world, from the smallest island to the largest desert [ey.com]

» September 22 2014 - Climate change, weather events, library, New Zealand. A web based digital library containing information on climate change and adverse weather events is now available. The library is an initiative between the Ministry for Primary Industries and AgResearch to help the primary industries assess the risks and impacts and respond to climate change and adverse weather events on land based businesses in New Zealand. There are over 1600 peer reviewed resources that will be useful to a range of primary sector occupations and farming systems. They are presented as user friendly fact sheets to support farmer and land manager decisions on how best to plan for the future and be resilient to the challenges ahead [climatecloud.co.nz]

» September 22 2014 - Natural gas, pipeline, South Stream, geopolitics. While Serbia appears one hundred percent committed to pursuing the South Stream project, the EU continues to produce new ideas on how to block the proposed gas route. This is in the midst of a confused political situation regarding the pipeline's entry point in Bulgaria, a country about to enter a polarized early general election. To begin, the EU's Directorate-General (DG) for Energy, through its spokesperson, recently stated that the Commission cannot legally enforce its provisions against South Stream, regarding the portion that will pass through Serbia, due to its non-EU member state status as it is not bound by the same rules. According to news streams out of Belgrade and Moscow, the Serbian route should start its construction process by mid-October 2014. Nevertheless, it should be noted that without Bulgaria's part of the pipeline, it is not feasible to assume construction will commence before the new Bulgarian government is elected after the 5th of October and is ready to announce a re-commencement of work on the section going from the Black Sea up to the borders with Serbia. As such, it can be assumed that the infrastructure process in Serbia itself will be delayed by a few weeks (and possibly a few months) [naturalgaseurope.com]

» September 22 2014 - Oil, natural gas, Norway resources. Wood Mackenzie says Norway has 10 Bboe of discovered natural resources that have yet to be developed. It believes more than 60% could be commercialized, potentially adding $106 billion to the country's oil and gas industry revenues. The resources are spread across 206 discoveries, ranging in size from less than 1 MMboe to the 2.4-Bboe Johan Sverdrup field. Half are in the North Sea with the remainder divided between the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. James Webb, Northwest Europe upstream analyst, said: "We consider 4.8 Bboe likely to be economic, with 1.6 Bboe potentially economic, and the remaining 3.6 Bboe not commercial…" However, the industry will need to address certain issues to maximize value from these projects, he cautions. "Low reserves, lack of infrastructure, and/or complex geology are just some examples of the technical obstacles faced. "Commercially, the global upstream industry faces an extremely difficult economic environment. Investors are increasingly demanding bigger dividends and a better rate of return. As a result many companies have committed to stricter capital discipline and are intensely screening projects based on financial criteria. Capital intensive projects are particularly being scrutinized. This means more difficult projects could be delayed, and in some circumstances will simply remain undeveloped." [offshore-mag.com]

» September 19 2014 - Climate finance, Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) report. The third annual Joint MDB report on Climate Finance was released today. It was prepared by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank Group (WBG) and demonstrates the shared engagement expressed by the group of six MDBs to reinforce transparency of their financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The report analyses the financial commitments from the institutions to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the information provided has been expanded to include both a more detailed sector based breakdown and a split between public and private operations, as well as a regional breakdown of MDB financing. The MDBs believe that setting meaningful targets and identifying opportunities for climate finance requires consistent and robust data. This report is therefore based on the common climate finance tracking methodology that MDBs have developed [eib.org]

» September 19 2014 - Oil, natural gas, world production, geopolitics, China, Russia, US, EU. China potentially could dictate terms as the fastest growing market in a world suddenly awash in potential oil and gas resources, speakers suggested during a discussion of energy and security in China and Pacific Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. That would put pressure on Russia to reconsider threats to cut off sales to European countries and other customers for political purposes since its potential new supplies may be too expensive to develop, especially if the US decides to aggressively export crude oil and LNG [ogj.com]

» September 19 2014 - Oil, markets, WTI, Brent, OPEC. West Texas Intermediate crude declined as speculation the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates countered signs of lower production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Brent also fell in London. WTI fell as much as 0.8 percent in New York. The dollar headed for a six-week gain versus the yen, curbing the appeal of commodities, after the Federal Reserve raised estimates for future interest rates on Sept. 17. Libya said yesterday its biggest operating oil field, Sharara, remained shut after an attack at the connected Zawiya plant [...] Fed Outlook. Fed officials who met Sept. 16-17 increased their median estimate for the federal funds rate to 1.375 percent at the end of next year, versus June's forecast for 1.125 percent. The dollar added 0.1 percent to 108.79 yen in London, after touching 109.46 earlier, the highest since August 2008. OPEC, supplier of about 40 percent of the world's oil, may reduce its daily quota by 500,000 barrels to 29.5 million in 2015, Secretary-General Abdalla El-Badri said in Vienna on Sept. 16. Saudi Arabia cut its crude supply by 408,000 barrels a day in August, the biggest reduction since 2012, a submission made by the country to OPEC shows. Demand for OPEC's oil will drop to 29.2 million barrels a day in 2015 from 29.5 million this year, the group said in a Sept. 10 report [bloomberg.com]

» September 19 2014 - Natural gas, TANAP pipeline, Turkey, Azerbaijan, EU. The Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP - a pipeline that will transport gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field to Europe through Turkey - will be a dream come true, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday ahead of his official visit to Azerbaijan. Following Davutoglu's upcoming talks on Friday on bilateral relations and regional and international developments with Azerbaijani officials, the TANAP project foundations will be laid Saturday which Davutoglu described as a 'peace project' that will connect the Caucasus with the Balkans. An estimated 6 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Turkey and 10 billion cubic meters to Europe via the TANAP pipeline which is projected to be opened in 2018 and in which Turkey has a 30 percent share in the project [aa.com.tr]

» September 19 2014 - Scotland, UK, indipendence referendum. Scotland has decided and our position as a valuable partner within the United Kingdom continues. But even before the dust settles, it is vitally important that both the Scottish and UK Governments join together to send out an unequivocal message that Scotland is very much open for business. The markets, and importantly the oil and gas sector, need strong and forthright assurances that we understand and will meet the criteria that is required to attract international investment. Now is the time to pull together and ensure we deliver on the actions which are required of the Wood Report and the Scottish Government Oil and Gas Review. Successive governments have taken short term positions regarding management of the oil and gas industry but that is no longer tenable [energyvoice.com]

» September 19 2014 - Shale gas, hydraulic fracturing, environmental challenges, US. Shale gas, natural gas extracted from shale using hydraulic fracturing, is found throughout much of the United States. This includes Pennsylvania, home to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and much of the Marcellus shale region. As a result, CMU researchers have studied shale gas and the implications of its widespread use, looking at both the potential for regional economic opportunities as part of the American Shale & Manufacturing Partnership and environmental challenges. Many visitors come to Pittsburgh from all over the world to discuss the issues surrounding shale gas use with our experts, and CMU recently hosted a regional public forum as part of the Department of Energy's Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) that focused on natural gas transmission, storage and distribution. As directed by President Obama, this first QER will focus on developing a road map to enhance the nation's infrastructure for transporting, transmitting and delivering energy. The QER discussion lead us to think about what actions could be taken by Congress or the administration at the national level on this important energy resource. We believe congressional or administration initiatives should include three key strategic thrusts, including initiation and support of: Regional capabilities, [...] Supportive environments for investment, effective permitting and long-term planning of an optimal system design, and rational development of public policy that aligns the upstream (hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas), midstream (pipelines and storage), and downstream (chemical industry, utilities, transportation) natural gas infrastructure to serve both national consumer markets and the potential for regional growth in chemical and industrial manufacturing; and Critical technology innovations to ensure the most energy-efficient and sustainable utilization of natural gas and to accelerate the emergence of a next-generation chemical industry [thehill.com]

» September 18 2014 - Oil, oil train accident, risk, report, US. With increasing numbers of volatile crude oil trains moving through Seattle's "antiquated" downtown rail tunnel, city emergency planners say more must be done to lower the risk of an oil train accident and improve the city's ability to respond. In a report to the Seattle City Council, emergency managers warned that an oil train accident resulting in fire, explosion or spill "would be a catastrophe for our community in terms of risk to life, property and environment." BNSF Railway can make immediate safety improvements in the mile-long 100-year-old rail tunnel that runs under downtown Seattle, including installing radio communication, a fire suppression system to release water and foam, and a permanent ventilation system, according to the report written by Barb Graff, who directs the city's office of emergency management, and Seattle assistant fire chief A.D. Vickery. About one or two milelong trains each day carry crude oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota, Montana and Canada through the city of about 650,000 residents [pennenergy.com]

» September 18 2014 - Renewable, clean energy investment, Scotland, UK. A vote by Scotland in favour of independence from the UK would be likely to damage clean energy investment, at least in the short term, as developers and banks are gripped by uncertainty over the future shape of the power market and incentives for renewables. Research from analysis company Bloomberg New Energy Finance, published this week, concludes that the negotiations between Scotland and the rest of the UK over energy - after any "yes" vote on 18 September – would be complex, involving tough bargaining, and would be likely to extend over a period of many months, if not longer [bnef.com]

» September 18 2014 - Oil, Artic, risks. Fossil Fuel Development in the Arctic is a Bad Investment. The world has become blinded by oil and gas as the familiar ways to run the economy and so is proceeding to look for them in hard-to-reach places like the Arctic, even as the costs mount and the returns diminish. An example of the world being set in its ways was the announcement on August 28th that Royal Dutch Shell, despite many setbacks in recent years, submitted plans to the U.S. government to again drill for oil offshore of Alaska as early as summer 2015. Currently, about 10 percent of the world's oil and one-quarter of its natural gas production come from the Arctic region, which has warmed by more than 2 degrees Celsius since the mid-1960s. Countries that border the Arctic Ocean are staking claims to expand their rights beyond the traditional 200-mile exclusive economic zone in anticipation of future oil and gas prospects. According to current estimates, the United States has the largest Arctic oil resources, both on and offshore. Russia comes in second for oil, but it has the most natural gas. Norway and Greenland are virtually tied for third largest combined oil and gas resources. Canada comes in fifth, with almost equal parts oil and natural gas. In developing these resources, Russia is leading the pack. Production has started at almost all of the 43 large oil and natural gas fields that have been discovered in the Russian Arctic, both on land and offshore. Russia drew its first oil from an offshore rig in Arctic waters in December 2013. On August 9, 2014, ExxonMobil and Russia's Rosneft together began drilling Russia’s northernmost oil well offshore of Siberia. Russia's Novatek is working with France's Total and the China National Petroleum Corp to develop a liquefied natural gas plant in the Arctic. However, tightening U.S. and European sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis threaten the future of these joint ventures [...] As Shell has seen, operating in the Arctic brings great risks. The shrinking Arctic sea ice allows waves to become more powerful. The remaining ice can be more easily broken up into ice floes that can collide with vessels or drilling platforms. Large icebergs can scour the ocean floor, bursting pipes or other buried infrastructure. Much of the onshore infrastructure is built on permafrost-frozen ground—that can shift as the ground thaws from regional warming, threatening pipe ruptures. Already, official Russian sources estimate that there have been more than 20,000 oil spills annually from pipelines across Russia in recent years. Arctic operations are far away from major emergency response support [earth-policy.org]

» September 17 2014 - Climate change, global economic growth, Global Commission on the Economy and Climate Report. Better growth better climate. The new climate economy. All over the world, people want to achieve better lives for themselves and for their children. Governments want to secure economic growth, improve living standards, create jobs and reduce poverty. Businesses want to expand and become more profitable. Today we also know that the world must deal with the challenge of climate change. Can these aspirations all be met at the same time? Is it possible to tackle long-term climate change while also, now, promoting economic growth and development? Or must we choose between our future security and our current living standards? It was to provide an objective, independent examination of these questions that the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate was established in 2013 by a group of seven countries. Our report is addressed to economic decision-makers across the world in both public and private sectors. Its core conclusion is that, by shaping the major processes of structural and technological change now occurring in the global economy, we can create lasting economic growth while also tackling the immense risks of climate change [newclimateeconomy.report]

» September 17 2014 - Oil, markets, production, stock levels, spare capacity, Opec, Russia. Third High-Level Meeting of the OPEC-Russia Energy Dialogue. [...] Both Parties provided their views on current oil market developments and prospects, with a general consensus that the market is well-supplied with healthy stock levels and adequate spare capacity. They also underscored the importance of stable and predictable markets for the health of the industry and investments, and the well-being of the global economy. They reviewed the summary discussions of the technical meeting that took place between experts from both Parties on tight oil and shale gas, and global refinery developments [opec.org]

» September 17 2014 - Climate change, low carbon economy, policy. Taking place from September 22-28, Climate Week NYC is a key international platform for governments, businesses and civil society to collaborate on low carbon leadership, through a week filled with events, activities and high-profile meetings. And this year it is set to be the biggest yet, with over 120 affiliate events confirmed. In 2014 Climate Week NYC is also the collaborative space for all related events in support of the UN Climate Summit, convened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday September 23. Together the two summits have the potential to catapult climate change back to the top of the world agenda, mobilizing leaders to act now [climateweeknyc.org]

» September 17 2014 - Climate policy, FEEM. LIMITS Final Conference and Final Project Meeting, organised by Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) in Brussels, Belgium, 25-26 September 2014. [...] An interesting opportunity for discussing post-2020 emission reduction commitments beyond the traditional divide of developed versus developing countries. A refocus on the major economies might help achieve more than expected, and calls for new analytical thinking about the best policy instruments which can be put into place to provide adequate incentives to join the coalition. Integrated assessment models are tools which are heavily used to assess the implications and the interactions of climate mitigation policies globally, and which play an increasingly important role in the scientifi c debate about climate change mitigation. Global coupled energy-economy-land use-climate models are thus needed to assess the feasibility and socio-economic implications of 2 degree pathways [feem-project.net]

» September 17 2014 - Coal, China, Australia. Australian suppliers likely to be hit hard by China curbs on coal quality. Several Australian thermal coal suppliers are likely to be hit by the Chinese government's move to restrict use of high ash and sulfur material from 2015 [...] "While there are significant uncertainties regarding the guidelines, they have the potential to impact 105 million mt of imported thermal coal demand," Wood Mackenzie said in a note. "While we expect the impact of the guidelines to be positive for imported thermal coal demand overall, high ash exports such as those from Australia would be negatively impacted," Wood Mackenzie said. In a bid to fight pollution, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced measures to restrict the quality of coal to be used in the country effective January 1, 2015 [platts.com]

» September 17 2014 - Renewable energy, economic growth, value policies, iea-retd report, Germany. Renewable energy technologies provide more than just energy. They can – with the right policy environment – create jobs and contribute to economic growth. The RE-ValuePolicies report gives insight in the key factors in renewable energy (RE) value creation. It presents a wide set of policy instruments for value creation which can be used to complement the currently used set of RE policies, in order to enable countries to maximise the economic benefits of the further development of the RE industry. What are the policy instruments that optimally support the renewable energy industrial value chain and capture its value? The report was prepared by a consortium of the Gesellschaft fur Wirtschaftliche Strukturforschung (GWS), the German Development Policy Institut (DIE) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), all Germany [iea-retd.org]

» September 17 2014 - Energy, climate change, policy, paper. This article reports on changes in climate science, social science, public administration, and policymaking over the past twenty-five years. It responds to Gene I. Rochlin's "retrospective examination" of energy research and the social sciences. In 2014, we find that social scientists are still disadvantaged by policy-maker biases and inaccessible deliberative systems, but also better poised to conduct original humanistic energy research and produce targeted social change interventions. We review promising social scientificadvancements, particularly in the realm of citizen action research. We conclude with the case study of evidence-based practice, a model from the health field that illustrates how climate change and energy research, practice, and policymaking could benefit from the inclusion of social science perspectives and methods [sciencedirect.com]

» September 16 2014 - Energy, energy aceess, energy transition, sustainable development, industry, enea consulting outlook report. Global panorama of energy access: Current situation, challenges and outlook. Globally 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. If this figure is projected to decline 1 billion by 2030, the global population who relies on the traditional use of biomass for cooking is expected to substantially increase, from 2.6 billion to 2.7 billion people. In its commitment to energy access, ENEA published a synthesis on the current situation and the further development perspectives of energy access worldwide, a crucial issue of human and economic development and an opportunity for the private sector. This synthesis present the ecosystem of the actors involved in the improvement of energy access and the technical solutions that serve the needs of this high-potential market. The five main challenges energy access has to address are presented in this publication: energy prices, equipment financing, distribution, change of scale and environmental performances [enea-consulting.com]

» September 16 2014 - Coal, clean coal technology, IEA research report. Developments in oxyfuel combustion of coal. In oxyfuel combustion, coal is fired in a mixture of oxygen and recycled flue gases to produce a concentrated stream of CO2 which can be purified for sequestration through physical separation processes. Despite the successful operation of a 30 MWth pilot plant since 2008, oxyfuel capture has yet to progress to the demonstration phase, however, the recent commissioning of a 100 MWth retrofit project and a 30 MWth oxyfuel circulating fluidised bed represent major steps for the technology. A number of new demonstration projects have also progressed to advanced stages of planning, of which the 168 MW FutureGen 2.0 plant could commence construction this year. With operation at the pilot-scale well-established, ongoing oxyfuel research has focused on clarifying the complex effect of the altered gas composition on combustion, heat transfer, and corrosion mechanisms in the boiler. As overall plant efficiency is limited by the substantial auxiliary loads required for oxygen production and purification of the CO2 product, optimisation of these processes is also key to future scale up. Commercial cryogenic air separation units can be thermally integrated with the plant's steam cycle for higher efficiencies, or potentially replaced by membrane-based processes currently in early stages of development. New technologies trialled for CO2 purification have focused primarily on improving SOx and NOx removal and achieving almost complete CO2 capture. This report will review technological progress in each element of the oxyfuel plant, as well as presenting the latest results from large pilot projects and demonstration Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies. Finally, recent analyses of the potential efficiency and economic performance of future commercial-scale plant are compared [iea-coal.org.uk]

» September 16 2014 - Climate change mitigation, climate finance instrument, Methane, World Bank. the World Bank Group together with several partners announced the design of the Pilot Auction Facility for Methane and Climate Change Mitigation (PAF), an innovative climate finance instrument that will use auctions to maximize the use of limited public resources for climate change mitigation while leveraging private sector financing. The facility has a target capitalization of $100 million, with several donors considering pledges, including Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In its first phase, the facility will focus on methane reducing projects, possibly including landfill, animal waste, and wastewater projects. Buyers will bid to receive a tradable put option for a guaranteed price for each ton of methane emissions that such projects reduce. This price guarantee provides private investors with a financial incentive to fund projects, using the competitive nature of the auction to determine the value of the guarantee, maximizing the efficient use and impact of public funds. The World Bank Group continues to lead development of innovative financial instruments that mitigate climate change. The pilot's auction will be the first of its kind for financing climate-friendly investments [worldbank.org]

» September 16 2014 - Natural gas, shale, unconventional, CGS, LNG, Australia. the Australian East Coast CSG and Shale Map for the industry, which depicts major granted CSG and emerging shale tenements and other unconventional gas-related information. In addition to CSG and shale tenements, the East Coast CSG and Shale Map depicts the location of producing CSG fields; gas-producing basins; and capacity, proponent and first LNG details on proposed CSG-to-LNG projects. Developed in collaboration with State and Federal Governments and industry associations, this fully verified map also details the operator and joint venture participants of each tenement, as well as their unconventional focus [gastoday.com.au]

» September 15 2014 - Global energy demand, natural gas, unconventional resources, efficiency. Global energy demand is expected to increase 35% to 2040, translating to 120 billion boe/year, or nearly 350 million boe/d, stated Rocky Becker, vice-president, Europe-Caspian-Russia at ExxonMobil Exploration Co. As part of a panel speaking at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) International Conference and Exhibition on Sept. 15, Becker outlined the contributing factors to US success in unconventional resource development and how these might be applied in international prospects to help meet increasing demand levels. [..] Meanwhile, the global economy is expected to grow 2.8%/year through 2040, with China leading the trend with an expected growth of 20% during the same period, Becker said. With population growth and increased GDP for many non OECD countries, natural gas will make up a major portion of the increased energy demand-or 25% of total energy supply by 2040. "The projection in energy demand includes significant efficiency improvements and the growing use of natural gas generation," Becker explained. "Without these efficiencies we would expect energy demand to be about 70% higher for the same period." The savings are roughly the amount of current energy consumption worldwide. Remaining natural gas supplies are estimated to be 28,000 tcf, which is equal to 200 years at current consumption rates. "Unconventional gas makes up 40% of this resource globally and in North America unconventional gas makes up 60% of its remaining supply," Becker said. ExxonMobil, the largest producer in the US, currently produces the majority of its natural gas from unconventional plays. [...] Due to North America's success with unconventional development, many countries are now prospecting potential for shale discoveries. However, the challenge facing international development is converting unconventional resource opportunities to profitable ventures on a scale similar to what has been achieved in North America. While drilling and completion technologies can be transferred and applied, other variables also contribute to overall success [ogj.com]

» September 15 2014 - Climate change, global warming, NASA data. NASA reported today (15 September 2014) that the global surface temperature anomaly for August 2014 was 0.7C. This makes August 2014 the hottest August since records began in 1880. The previous record of 0.69C was set in 2011. The temperature anomaly is the variance in degrees C against the long term 1951-1980 average. This result is apparently at odds with satellite measurements of the global tropospheric temperature based calculated by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and by US firm remote Sensing Systems. Both these data sets showed the global temperature anomaly climbing sharply in the first part of the year before peaking in the Summer. The NASA data seems to show a rapid rise in the first five months of the year before dropping back in June and July and then increasing again in August [reportingclimatescience.com]

» September 15 2014 - Energy, sustainable energy, global power sector transformation. The first edition of REthinking Energy, the flagship series from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), analyses the transformation of the global power sector while reviewing progress in the transition to a sustainable energy future. An alignment of economic forces, global population growth, the threat of climate change and rapid technological advances has set in motion a transformation of the global energy system. A new system based on renewables would enhance energy access and security, create jobs and safeguard health and the environment, IRENA's report argues. Renewable energy has moved from the margins to the majority in both investment and new capacity additions. It now represents a major portion of the global power supply - and is growing at unprecedented scale. Financing renewables is becoming cheaper and easier [irena.org]

» September 15 2014 - Natural gas, shale, fracking, Scotland. With natural gas prices in Europe more than double costs in the U.S., Ineos Group AG has a novel solution: start fracking. The world's fourth-biggest petrochemical manufacturer bought a license last month to look for fuel around its refinery in Grangemouth, Scotland. That complements a deal by Ineos to import gas from the U.S., a step followed by other chemical companies in Europe such as Borealis AG and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC). Scotland will [...] vote on whether to stay in the U.K. Producers of everything from fertilizers to plastics are looking for new energy sources at a time when options are limited. Shale exploration has helped boost supply and depress prices in the U.S. In Europe, the U.K. and Poland have embraced fracking -- blasting water, sand and chemicals to harvest fuel embedded deep underground -- while most of the rest of the continent, citing environmental harm, has not. The challenge has become urgent given the European Union's dependence on Russia for 30 percent of its supplies, much via pipelines in Ukraine [bloomberg.com]

» September 15 2014 - Climate change, climate financing. The world's six multilateral development banks reaffirmed their shared commitment to lead by example by continuing to reinforce and further develop climate financing through a joint statement issued in advance of the United Nations Secretary-General's Climate Summit being convened in New York on 23rd September. The African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Investment Bank (EIB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and World Bank Group (WBG) together pledged to maintain a strong institutional focus on climate change. This will include leveraging additional private sector investment, continuing to innovate and promote more robust and transparent climate finance tracking and reporting. Since they began jointly tracking climate finance flows in 2011, the six multilateral development banks have delivered nearly US$75 billion in financing to help developing countries and emerging economies respond to the challenges of climate change. On average, about 80 percent of this lending has supported investment in mitigation activities and 20 percent to adaptation. The statement also confirmed the intention of the multilateral development banks to count and track climate finance investments in the same way. This is expected to enable greater cooperation and shared experience between the banks and other financial bodies involved in climate action. With their ability to catalyze public and private funds, the multilateral development banks have successfully attracted and deployed climate financing to support low-carbon resilient growth in developing countries and emerging economies [ebrd.com]

» September 15 2014 - Climate change, negotiations towards Paris, EU, IES webinar. 'On the way to Lima and Paris: the EU's role in international climate policy'. In December 2015, a new global agreement to fight climate change is to be adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris. Negotiations on this Paris agreement approach another major milestone at this year's 20th Conference of the Parties in Lima in December when elements of a negotiating text should be agreed upon. A full negotiating text is then to appear during the first half of 2015, when countries are also expected to put forward their own "intended nationally determined contributions" to global climate protection. What are/should be the core objectives of the EU for the 2015 Paris agreement given the state of international discussions? What should and can the Paris agreement deliver? What would be required for the EU to play a productive leadership role in the negotiations towards Paris? These are some of the core questions this webinar will explore, touching upon both EU domestic politics and the international context: Monday 22 September 2014, 12.00-13.00h (CEST) [ies.be]

» September 13 2014 - Oil, markets, prices. Global oil prices have slid in recent weeks, a trend that shows no signs of changing in the immediate future. The two main benchmarks for oil prices, Brent and WTI, hit their highest levels so far this year in June amid the initial onslaught in Iraq of the Sunni jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Fears that the militant group would seize Iraqi oil fields pushed up prices. Brent crude has now dipped below $100 per barrel, for the first time in over a year. WTI is trading around $92 per barrel, a 16-month low. Prices have dropped for a few reasons. ISIS's advance has come to a halt and fears that Iraq's oil production would be affected have abated. Libya has brought some of its oil back online, with August production averaging around 538,000 barrels per day (bpd) -- more than double its average daily production from June. Libya's National Oil Corporation says that production is now topping 800,000 bpd and could exceed 1 million bpd in October. U.S. oil production also continues to rise. In June, the U.S. produced 8.5 million bpd, an increase of 500,000 bpd since the beginning of the year. Higher production continues to cut into imports, leaving greater supplies on the global market. Perhaps most importantly, global demand has been surprisingly lackluster. The latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) shows that refined product (gasoline, for example) inventories are increasing - an indication that production is overwhelming consumption. A slowing Chinese economy is also putting a damper on crude oil prices. Weak economic data published by the Chinese government showed that China's import growth slowed for a second straight month, suggesting the economy continues to cool. The glut of supplies and weak demand is causing problems for OPEC, according to the cartel's monthly report. OPEC lowered its demand projection for 2015 by 200,000 and in August, Saudi Arabia cut production by 400,000 bpd in an effort to stem oversupply. As noted by Steve LeVine in Quartz, cheaper oil could present problems for oil producing countries, which generally rely on high prices to keep their national budgets in the black. Iran, for example, needs a price of $136 per barrel to pay for its current levels of public spending. Other countries - Nigeria, Ecuador, Venezuela, Iraq - are all facing looming budgetary problems as their required "breakeven" prices are higher than what oil is currently selling for on the market. Russia needs between $110 and $117 per barrel to finance its spending, which means the Kremlin can't be happy as it watches Brent prices continue to drop. Combined with an already weak economy, Russia could see its $19 billion surplus become a deficit by the end of the year [oilprice.com]

» September 12 2014 - Oil, natural gas, geopolitics, sanctions against Russia, EU. European Union governments agreed on Thursday to begin their new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis on Friday but could lift them next month if Moscow abides by a fragile truce, while the United States prepared its own fresh sanctions [...] The new EU sanctions are expected to put Russia's top oil producers and pipeline operators, Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft, on a list of Russian state-owned firms that will not be allowed to raise capital or borrow on European markets, an EU diplomat said. EU sanctions do not include the gas sector and in particular state-owned Gazprom, the world's biggest gas producer and the biggest gas supplier to Europe. But under the EU penalties, firms in the bloc will be barred from providing drilling or well testing services for deepwater oil exploration, Arctic oil exploration or production and shale oil projects in Russia [reuters.com]

» September 12 2014 - Natural gas. geopolitics, South stream, Russia, EU. RUSSIA'S South Stream gas pipeline project is the European Union's most controversial challenge in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It impacts the bilateral relationship with Russia and relationships between the 28 member states in the EU. Building the pipeline has already started in Bulgaria and Russia. Conflict over the project highlights the internal structural weaknesses and competing national interests between the EU's 28 member states and their often short-term defined strategic interests. It also demonstrates the EU's inability to speak with one voice towards Moscow or present a coherent strategic response to Russia's geopolitically defined energy and foreign policies. Regulation for a competitive gas market is the only weapon the EU has to strengthen resilience of its energy supply security and taking wider economic and public interests into account. But EU member countries often support their national energy champions rather uncritically and fail to review their energy projects with Russia taking into account the wider strategic implications for overall national economic competitiveness and public interests [worldreview.info]

» September 12 2014 - Climate change, GHG emissions, PWC low carbon economy index. The 2014 Low Carbon Economy Index (LCEI) shows an unmistakeable trend. For the sixth year running, the global economy has missed the decarbonisation target needed to limit global warming to 2ºC. Confronted with the challenge in 2013 of decarbonising at 6% a year, we managed only 1.2%. To avoid two degrees of warming, the global economy now needs to decarbonise at 6.2% a year, more than five times faster than the current rate, every year from now till 2100. On our current burn rate we blow our carbon budget by 2034, sixty six years ahead of schedule. This trajectory, based on IPCC data, takes us to four degrees of warming by the end of the century. This stark message comes in the run up to a critical series of climate negotiations, kicking off in New York and Lima in late 2014, then moving to Paris by December 2015 for the COP21 Summit, widely thought of as the last chance to secure a global agreement on action on climate change. While the mood music for these climate negotiations is around two degrees – the threshold at which there is a substantial chance of avoiding climate feedback loops and runaway climate change – the sum of the pledges on the table limits warming only back to three degrees. We have got a gigatonne-gap, with global pledges falling more than 8 gigatonnes a year short of what is needed for two degrees. But LCEI 2014 also brings two important grounds for optimism [pwc.blogs.com]

» September 12 2014 - Energy efficiency, energy transition, buildings, Netherlands, renewables. The Netherlands has found a way to refurbish existing buildings to net zero energy, within a week, with a 30-year builders' guarantee and no subsidies. Oh and they come with a new kitchen and bathroom too. Now revolutionary renovation programme Energiesprong (literally: Energy Jump) is looking to take its learnings to France and the UK. It's asking for €10 million in EU funds to help. The European Commission will discuss this plucky bid for a slice of its Horizon 2020 programme for research and development in the next weeks, for a decision in early November [energypost.eu]

» September 12 2014 - Climate change, Energy, China policy, CEEP Crawford paper. China's Climate and Energy Policy: On Track to Low-carbon Growth?. China has become the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and in many ways is the linchpin of global climate change policy. If China's coal use and carbon dioxide emissions keep growing alongside GDP then current global goals for limiting climate change will be out of reach. If, however, China manages to decouple its emissions trajectory from its economic growth then ambitious global emissions reductions scenarios remain feasible, and other industrialising countries may be inclined to emulate China's pathway. For China's policymakers, climate policy goes hand in hand with other objectives, including reducing local air pollution, improving energy security and attaining a leadership position in advanced manufacturing technologies. The various targets to 2020 for emissions, energy use and energy technologies reflect this. China appears on track to achieving these, but action commensurate with strong global climate change mitigation during the following decade will require ongoing and strengthening policy effort. China's climate change policy is intricately linked to two fundamental aspects of China's economic trajectory. First, macro-economic 'rebalancing', less rapid GDP growth and ongoing structural change in China's economy could facilitate a marked slowdown in the growth rate of energy demand, and hence carbon dioxide emissions. Second, continuing the drive for market reform in China's economy, as the new leadership seems intent on, can help China achieve emissions reductions at lower economic cost [press.anu.edu.au]

» September 11 2014 - Energy markets, geopolitics, CSIS event. Russia's Role in Asian Energy Markets. European sanctions have accelerated Russia's political and economic push into Asia. At the center of Russia's turn to Asia is energy: Moscow sees new markets in Asia as an alternative to stagnant, politically risky Europe, while Asian investment is crucial for Russia's ability to tap new source of oil and gas. Despite the signing of a $400 billion gas deal with China in May, Russia's ability to make good on its Asian energy ambitions remains uncertain. What are the prospects for Russia's energy industry in Asia? What impact will Russian energy have on regional economics and geopolitics? Is Russia's eastward turn a threat to U.S. and European interests? Monday, Sep 22, 2014 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM [csis.org]

» September 11 2014 - Natural gas, India, pipeline. India's state-owned natural gas company GAIL is set to commence work on the 2,050 km Jagdishpur - Phulpur - Haldia natural gas pipeline, which will connect eastern India to the national gas grid by transporting natural gas to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The pipeline is a significant investment, estimated to cost Rs 10,000 crores (over $US2 billion) [pipelinesinternational.com]

» September 11 2014 - Energy efficiency, IEA report, efficiency multiple benefits. Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency. As energy efficiency continues to gain attention as a key resource for economic and social development across all economies, understanding its real value is increasingly important. The multiple benefits approach to energy efficiency policy seeks to expand the perspective of energy efficiency beyond the traditional measures of reduced energy demand and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by identifying and measuring its impacts across many different spheres. The term "multiple benefits" aims to capture a reality that is often overlooked: investment in energy efficiency can provide many different benefits to many different stakeholders. Whether by directly reducing energy demand and associated costs (which can enable investment in other goods and services) or facilitating the achievement of other objectives (e.g. making indoor environments healthier or boosting industrial productivity), recent research acknowledges the enormous potential of energy efficiency. This publication demonstrates its role as a major contributor to strategic objectives across five main themes: enhancing the sustainability of the energy system, economic development, social development, environmental sustainability and increasing prosperity [iea.org]

» September 11 2014 - Oil markets, EIA short-term energy outlook. Weakening global demand and increased Libyan oil exports contributed to a drop in the North Sea Brent crude oil spot price to an average of $102 per barrel (bbl) in August, $5/bbl lower than the July average and $10/bbl below the average in June. For the first time in 14 months, average Brent spot prices fell outside the relatively narrow $5/bbl range between $107/bbl and $112/bbl. EIA projects that Brent crude oil prices will average $103/bbl in fourth-quarter 2014 and $103/bbl in 2015, $5/bbl and $2/bbl lower than forecast in last month's STEO, respectively. The WTI discount to Brent, which averaged $11/bbl in 2013, is expected to average $8/bbl in both 2014 and 2015. Total U.S. crude oil production averaged an estimated 8.6 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in August, the highest monthly production since July 1986. Total crude oil production, which averaged 7.5 million bbl/d in 2013, is expected to average 9.5 million bbl/d in 2015, 0.2 million bbl/d higher than projected in last month's STEO. If achieved, the 2015 forecast would be the highest annual average crude oil production since 1970. Natural gas plant liquids production increases from an average of 2.6 million bbl/d in 2013 to 3.1 million bbl/d in 2015. The growth in domestic liquids production has contributed to a significant decline in petroleum imports. The share of total U.S. petroleum and other liquids consumption met by net imports fell from 60% in 2005 to an average of 32% in 2013. EIA expects the net import share to decline to 21% in 2015, which would be the lowest level since 1968. Natural gas spot prices fell 15% from an average of $4.59/million British thermal units (MMBtu) in June to $3.91/MMBtu in August even as natural gas stock builds continued to outpace historical norms. Natural gas working inventories on August 29 totaled 2.71 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), 0.47 Tcf (15%) below the level at the same time a year ago and 0.50 Tcf (15%) below the previous five-year average (2009-13). Projected natural gas working inventories reach 3.48 Tcf at the end of October, 0.34 Tcf below the level at the same time last year. EIA expects that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price, which averaged $3.73 per MMBtu in 2013, will average $4.46/MMBtu in 2014 and $3.87/MMBtu in 2015 [eia.gov]

» September 10 2014 - Climate change, Development in Practice Journal, Special issue on climate change adaptation and development. Climate change is real, it is happening, and it is man-made (IPCC WGI 2013). We also know that we have already put so many greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants into the atmosphere that we will see significant and long-term change that we need to adapt and adjust to. It is fundamentally important for all development practitioners to understand these impacts and to get to grips with the challenge of how and when to adapt to climate change. As this special issue went to print, the international science community gathered to discuss their understanding of climate change impacts and to produce an update of the assessment that was made five years ago. There are plenty of grim presentations1 of what the extremes of the possible climate scenarios will throw at us over the next 100 years, but not all change will be disastrous; some change will be beneficial, but much of the change will happen at an unprecedented rate that will require the best possible analysis and understanding of how and when we should adapt to climate change [tandfonline.com]

» September 10 2014 - Oil markets, unconventional oil, US crude oil exports, Brookings report. The skyrocketing growth of unconventional oil and natural gas production in the United States has ignited an intense debate on the impact of energy exports on U.S. energy and economic security and its foreign policy. In "Changing Markets: Economic Opportunities from Lifting the U.S. Ban on Crude Oil Exports," Charles Ebinger and Heather Greenley worked with National Economic Research Associates (NERA) to examine the economic and national security impacts of lifting the ban on crude oil exports. Learn eights facts about U.S. crude oil production within the key findings outlined below and download the full report [brookings.edu]

» September 10 2014 - Climate change, green climate fund, BRIC. [...] recent moves by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have decisively undermined the entire edifice of UN climate talks - likely for the better given the appalling track record of climate action of the UN. Since their inception in 1980, UN climate talks have been built on the premise that the developed world, responsible for most of the pollution since industrialization, will fund a global clean-up of the planet, partly directly and partly via institutions where they control the Board, such as the World Bank Group. After all that's what rich developed countries, periodically feeling guilty, have promised at repeated climate talk venues. The promised money never arrived. Over the past five years, the Green Climate Fund (or GCF) has been presented as the key vehicle via which $100 billion of funding per year will be diverted from rich to developing countries to help the latter mitigate emissions and adapt to climate change. However, negotiations for a comprehensive climate deal have led nowhere as guilt is invariably replaced by political and financial reality, especially after the 2008 financial crisis [theecologist.org]

» September 10 2014 - Climate change, climate action, Twitter Q&A. America's most-watched TV weather anchor, The Weather Channel's Sam Champion, will join us for a live Twitter Q&A about American people's awareness of and appetite for bold climate action. In the lead up to Climate Week NYC we're hosting a series of live #CWNYC Twitter Q&As to drive public conversation on climate change and low carbon growth [...] on September 10, 12-1pm New York time/5pm London time, to discuss the nation's readiness and ambition to act on climate [theclimategroup.org]

» September 09 2014 - Climate change, greenhouse gases, CO2 atmospheric concentrations, WMO report. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2013, propelled by a surge in levels of carbon dioxide. This is according to the World Meteorological Organization's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, which injected even greater urgency into the need for concerted international action against accelerating and potentially devastating climate change. The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin showed that between 1990 and 2013 there was a 34% increase in radiative forcing - the warming effect on our climate - because of long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide. In 2013, concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 142% of the pre-industrial era (1750), and of methane and nitrous oxide 253% and 121% respectively. The observations from WMO's Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) network showed that CO2 levels increased more between 2012 and 2013 than during any other year since 1984. Preliminary data indicated that this was possibly related to reduced CO2 uptake by the earth's biosphere in addition to the steadily increasing CO2 emissions. The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reports on atmospheric concentrations - and not emissions - of greenhouse gases. Emissions represent what goes into the atmosphere. Concentrations represent what remains in the atmosphere after the complex system of interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere and the oceans. About a quarter of the total emissions are taken up by the oceans and another quarter by the biosphere, reducing in this way the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. The ocean cushions the increase in CO2 that would otherwise occur in the atmosphere, but with far-reaching impacts. The current rate of ocean acidification appears unprecedented at least over the last 300 million years, according to an analysis in the report [wmo.int]

» September 09 2014 - World energy crisis, oil, natural gas, coal. gas spot markets, take or pay contract. As everyone remains focused on the price of crude, the wider energy market is headed for a serious shortfall. [...] it's impossible not to recognize there is a new energy crisis quickly developing in other parts of the world. This is not a rising Armageddon, the end of the world as we know it, or some script for a survivalist thriller. But it is another dramatic example of how the lack of energy shapes the world. In this case, the supply of oil and gas is still adequate and trade is on the upswing. The rising problem has to do with energy availability. In certain areas of the world, the generation and distribution of energy is beginning to morph into a bona fide crisis. In short, the infrastructure in place is simply not enough to reliably keep the lights on. [...] On the upstream (production) side, the advent of unconventional oil and gas has fundamentally altered expectations on supply. Most of this supply is global, and not centered just in North America. But these new resources will take some time to develop. In the near future, liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade will be bringing natural gas via tanker to places that have usually been dependent only on pipelined gas. And while the LNG needs to be regasified at a receiving terminal and injected into the existing pipeline network, its delivery will provide a major new advantage. It involves the establishment of local spot markets where contracts are made and executed in a few days, rather than those that tie parties to long-term commitments. More often than not, these agreements contract deliveries over a period of 20 years and require that a certain amount be taken each month or paid for as if it was. What's more, the cost of these "take or pay" provisions are based on a basket of oil and oil products, even though the commodity purchased is gas. This last element is the single major reason for rising energy costs in areas that are dependent on these pipelined gas agreements. The cost of the gas is tied to the price of oil, which is already high and rising. The good news is that the development of local spot markets allows for an alternative that will almost always undercut the pipeline price. The crucial element is the guarantee of sufficient and regular supply. And the expansion LNG trade worldwide is about to provide both. [/oilandenergyinvestor.com]

» September 09 2014 - World energy crisis, global financial crisis, peak oil, energy return on energy invested, global economy and environment, MSSI research paper. The Limits to Growth "standard run" (or business-as-usual, BAU) scenario produced about forty years ago aligns well with historical data that has been updated in this paper. The BAU scenario results in collapse of the global economy and environment (where standards of living fall at rates faster than they have historically risen due to disruption of normal economic functions), subsequently forcing population down. Although the modelled fall in population occurs after about 2030-with death rates rising from 2020 onward, reversing contemporary trends-the general onset of collapse first appears at about 2015 when per capita industrial output begins a sharp decline. Given this imminent timing, a further issue this paper raises is whether the current economic difficulties of the global financial crisis are potentially related to mechanisms of breakdown in the Limits to Growth BAU scenario. In particular, contemporary peak oil issues and analysis of net energy, or energy return on (energy) invested, support the Limits to Growth modelling of resource constraints underlying the collapse. [sustainable.unimelb.edu.au]

» September 08 2014 - Oil, BP, Offshore spill, Gulf of Mexico Disaster. BP could be looking at close to $18 billion in additional fines over the nation's worst offshore oil spill after a federal judge ruled Thursday that the company acted with "gross negligence" in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier concluded that the London-based oil giant showed a "conscious disregard of known risks" during the drilling operation and bears most of the responsibility for the blowout that killed 11 rig workers and spewed millions of gallons of oil over three months. In the next stage of the case, set to begin in January, the judge will decide precisely how much BP must pay. Under the federal Clean Water Act, a polluter can be forced to pay a maximum of $1,100 in civil fines per barrel of spilled oil, or up to $4,300 per barrel if the company is found grossly negligent. Barbier's finding exposes BP to the much higher amount. Even as the oil giant vowed to appeal, BP stock fell $2.82, or nearly 6 percent, to $44.89, reducing the company's market value by almost $9 billion [pennenergy.com]

» September 08 2014 - Climate change, weather reports. How will climate change impact our weather in the year 2050? Watch "weather reports from the future". If humanity's greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the average temperature of the Earth's lower atmosphere could rise more than 4ºC (7.2ºF) by the end of the 21st century. But what does a global average temperature rise really mean? How would we experience it on a daily basis? To find out what could lie in store, the WMO invited television weather presenters from around the world to imagine a "weather report from the year 2050." What they created are only possible scenarios, of course, and not true forecasts. Nevertheless, they are based on the most up-to-date climate science, and they paint a compelling picture of what life could be like on a warmer planet. These worst-case futures do not need to happen. WMO is launching these videos during the month of September to support the UN Secretary-General's call for world leaders from government, finance, business, and civil society to support ambitious action on climate change at the UN Climate Summit on 23 September [wmo.int]

» September 08 2014 - Climate change, emissions, economics, articles. Taylor & Francis article collection on The Economics of Environment. This month we're looking at important issues such as climate change, emissions, and pollution - and how this can affect and be shaped by economics. These articles have been chosen especially from our Economics and Environment portfolios and are free to read for the whole of September 2014 [tandfonline.com]

» September 08 2014 - Oil, OPEC price. The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at 98.36 dollars a barrel on Friday, compared with $99.13 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) [opec.org]

» September 05 2014 - Oil, risks of drilling, BP, Gulf oil spill. A U.S. judge's watershed ruling means the final cost to BP Plc for the 2010 Gulf oil spill may eclipse $50 billion, wiping out years of profits and highlighting the risks of drilling as the industry pushes into more dangerous areas such as deeper waters and ice-bound Arctic fields. Yesterday's court decision that BP acted with gross negligence in the Gulf of Mexico disaster may hamstring the company financially as the industry's search for resources becomes more expensive and dangerous. Companies including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are also facing increasing pressure to show investors they can still grow as production declines [bloomberg.com]

» September 05 2014 - Climate change, bioeconomy, Nordic way. Climate crisis and the bioeconomy - friends or foes? Should the developing bioeconomy be considered as part of the problem or part of the solution with regards to climate change? How does the one affect the other, and what can the Nordic region do to promote more sustainable production? We brought together two of the region's leading experts on these matters, Professor Jorgen E. Olesen from Aarhus University and Matis Director Sveinn Margeirsson, to discuss the bioeconomy and climate change [nordicway.org]

» September 05 2014 - Natural gas, pipeline, TANAP, geopolitics, Turkey, Azerbaijan. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) project, which Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to build to carry gas from the latter to Europe via Turkey, will started to be established on September 20. [...] Speaking during a press conference with his counterpart İlham Aliyev [...] Azerbaijan and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on June 26 on the TANAP project. In December last year, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a consortium to build a gas pipeline to supply gas from the Shah Deniz field to Europe through Turkish territory. At present, BOTAS has a 20 per cent stake in TANAP, and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has an 80 per cent share. The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters per year. About six billion cubic meters of the volume will be allocated to Turkey, while the rest will be transported to Europe [cihan.com.tr]

» September 04 2014 - Oil, geopolitics, Kurdistan production. After nearly a month, companies such as ShaMaran Petroleum Cop. are resuming drilling operations in the Kurdistan region. ShaMaran will pick back up production in the Atrush block at the Chiya Khere-8 development well. Drilling operations at the well were suspended for 21 days following the regional safety issues, according to an official company statement. Kurdistan has 12 billion barrels of oil and 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, according to Bidness ETC, and these figures do not account for unproven oil and gas reserves in the region [pennenergy.com]

» September 04 2014 - Renewable, UK, Scotland. Scotland is the British powerhouse of renewables, contributing 36% of the total amount of renewable energy generated in the UK - but the outcome of this month's vote on independence could have huge ramifications for the renewable sector. [...] how Scottish independence would affect energy markets in Great Britain and future investments in renewable projects [future-power-magazine]

» September 04 2014 - Oil & gas, coal, stock market values, fossil fuel disinvestment, white paper bloomberg. Oil & gas and coal companies form one of the world's largest asset classes, worth nearly $5trn at current stock market values. In the past two years, dozens of public and private institutions have announced plans to divest fossil fuels from their portfolios – a movement one executive described as "one of the fastest-moving debates I think I’ve seen in my 30 years in markets". Fossil fuels are investor favourites for a reason. Few sectors offer the scale, liquidity, growth, and yield of these century-old businesses vital to today's economy. This White Paper explores the motivations behind fossil fuel divestment, the scale of existing fossil fuel investments, and potential alternatives for investment re-allocated from oil, gas, and coal stocks [bnef.com]

» September 03 2014 - Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), CO2 emissions, climate change. Construction has begun on the stalled FutureGen 2.0 carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in western Illinois, according to project officials, but major hurdles remain for the $1.65 billion first-of-its-kind power plant. Installation of the first foundation piling meets an Aug. 31 start-construction deadline required by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Kim Biggs, a spokeswoman for the agency [...] The work represents a victory for the project, which involves retrofitting one boiler in a nearly 50-year-old coal plant owned by Ameren Corp. to capture roughly 90 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. Success would demonstrate that the technology effectively required for new power plants by the Obama administration is achievable. Critics have said it's not yet commercially viable [bna.com]

» September 03 2014 - Climate change, climate finance. CDKN launches Climate compatible development Impact Research Fund. The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) launches a new global research call. Under the Climate compatible development Impact Research Fund (CIRF), CDKN seeks to fund research of the highest scientific standards with clear potential for policy impact. [...] looking for excellent, ambitious proposals under four thematic areas, for applied research projects of 12-20 months' duration. Research priorities under the four thematic areas are as follows: Robust national plans for climate compatible development transitions; Enabling conditions for urban climate compatible development; Climate-related disaster risk management and adaptation; Climate compatible development and the water, energy and food security nexus. [...] seeking to commission 8 - 16 research projects, up to a total value of £3.35 million [/cdkn.org]

» September 03 2014 - Shale oil, shale gas, Argentina. One of the world's legendary investors is upping his bet on Argentina's shale oil and gas industry in a show of confidence for shale production in South America's largest unconventional prize - and a big boost for both supermajors and smaller players making big waves in the heart of new discovery areas. George Soros has doubled his stake in YPF SA, the state-owned oil company in Argentina, which sits atop some of the world's largest shale oil and gas resources, and is about to get even larger following a new discovery over the last couple of weeks of a second key shale play. Argentina holds an estimated 27 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and 802 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas, much of it located in the Vaca Muerta, an enormous shale formation in the Neuquen basin -- the second-largest shale gas deposit and the fourth-largest shale oil deposit in the world. And on Aug. 14, YPF announced the discovery of oil in another shale formation-Agrio shale--in the same basin. Some estimates suggest that combined, the two plays' reserves could be worth as much as $3 trillion [oilprice.com]

» September 02 2014 - Climate change, Arctic region warming, Nature geoscience review. The Arctic region has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average - a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. The rapid Arctic warming has contributed to dramatic melting of Arctic sea ice and spring snow cover, at a pace greater than that simulated by climate models. These profound changes to the Arctic system have coincided with a period of ostensibly more frequent extreme weather events across the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, including severe winters. The possibility of a link between Arctic change and mid-latitude weather has spurred research activities that reveal three potential dynamical pathways linking Arctic amplification to mid-latitude weather: changes in storm tracks, the jet stream, and planetary waves and their associated energy propagation. Through changes in these key atmospheric features, it is possible, in principle, for sea ice and snow cover to jointly influence mid-latitude weather. However, because of incomplete knowledge of how high-latitude climate change influences these phenomena, combined with sparse and short data records, and imperfect models, large uncertainties regarding the magnitude of such an influence remain. We conclude that improved process understanding, sustained and additional Arctic observations, and better coordinated modelling studies will be needed to advance our understanding of the influences on mid-latitude weather and extreme events [nature.com]

» September 02 2014 - Natural gas, south stream pipeline, geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, EU. RUSSIA'S South Stream gas pipeline project is the European Union's most controversial challenge in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It impacts the bilateral relationship with Russia and relationships between the 28 member states in the EU.Building the pipeline has already started in Bulgaria and Russia. Conflict over the project highlights the internal structural weaknesses and competing national interests between the EU's 28 member states and their often short-term defined strategic interests. It also demonstrates the EU's inability to speak with one voice towards Moscow or present a coherent strategic response to Russia's geopolitically defined energy and foreign policies. Regulation for a competitive gas market is the only weapon the EU has to strengthen resilience of its energy supply security and taking wider economic and public interests into account [worldreview.info]

» September 02 2014 - Geothermal development, US. For various reasons -- including logistics, economics and permitting issues -- geothermal has not even come close to reaching its potential. That could be changing, though, with the introduction this summer of a series of geothermal bills that may hasten its development and remove some bureaucratic obstacles. Renewable Energy World reported at the end of July that U.S. House and Senate subcommittees discussed permitting needs and took up two bills related to geothermal development. The House subcommittee heard that an inordinate amount of red tape hampers geothermal in the U.S. For example, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires geothermal developers to submit over 175 "document sets" for each project, which could mean hundreds of thousands of pages. The subcommittee also learned that geothermal power projects can take as many as seven years to develop, compared to three to five years for oil and gas projects, and just 18 months for solar or wind start-ups. The Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act would streamline the process to allow a geothermal project to move forward quickly if resources are found, while another proposed bill would promote the development of renewable energy on public lands [oilprice.com]

» September 02 2014 - Energy system transformation, UBS report. UBS: solar set to transform energy system within 20 years. According to a paper from UBS, the world's largest private bank, the solar industry is set to transform energy systems over the next two decades and place an emphasis on locally sourced power. The paper states, "Solar panels and batteries will be disruptive technologies. Solar is at the edge of being a competitive power generation technology." It said that the biggest drawback to solar has been its intermittency, but added that batteries and electric vehicles can play a role in this. The paper explains that battery costs have declined rapidly and are expected to fall more than 50% by the end of the decade. As electric vehicles become mass-produced, their costs will also fall [blueandgreentomorrow.com]

» August 29 2014 - Renewable energy. Renewable energy capacity grows at fastest ever pace. Green technologies now produce 22% of world's electricity. Wind, solar and other renewable power capacity grew at its strongest ever pace last year and now produces 22% of the world's electricity, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday in a new report. More than $250bn (£150bn) was invested in "green" generating systems in 2013, although the speed of growth is expected to slacken, partly because politicians are becoming nervous about the cost of subsidies [theguardian.com]

» August 29 2014 - Oil market, Opec, US, geopolitics. OPEC's Proxy Wars. Oil to $75. The oil price just broke down [...] For the past five years, we've been riding an uptrend. This week, the price of oil broke below that trend line. That is a bearish sign for oil prices. More Supply from the U.S. It isn't quite a secret that the U.S. is pumping mad oil. We are now riding at the top end of the five-year range of oil supply. This week, supplies in Cushing, OK rose by 500,000 barrels to 20.7 million barrels. Cushing is the physical delivery point for the NYMEX contract, and WTI is more and more sensitive to the Cushing supply levels. Both Brent and WTI have fallen by more than 10% since mid-June and remain on track to post a second monthly fall as China is slowing down, Europe is facing another recession, and U.S. oil imports are falling. OPEC Civil War. On top of all of this, the Middle East is in a real shooting war between Sunnis and Shias - that is, Iran is fighting Saudi Arabia, with proxy wars in Iraq and Syria. It's no wonder there is little cooperation in OPEC, as seen by a public fight at June's OPEC meeting. Countries like Iran, Tunisia, and Libya want to reduce supplies and jack up the oil price so they can pay for their deteriorating economies before the peasants break out the pitchforks. The WSJ reported that Iran needs Brent prices at $105 to cover its societal costs. Don't forget that the Middle Eastern revolutions of the past three years were based on food inflation. People will put up with almost anything before they overthrow a government, but they will not let their children starve. The Arab Spring was trigged by a Tunisian food vendor over the high prices of food. On the other side the argument is Saudi Arabia, who understands price elasticity of demand. It wants to pump more oil to bring down prices [energyandcapital.com]

» August 29 2014 - Nuclear security, US, report. Cutting Too Deep: The Obama Administration's Proposals for Nuclear Security Spending Reductions. This report explains how the Obama administration's proposed budget cuts would delay nuclear and radiological material removals, research reactor conversions, and other important nuclear security work. The authors recommend that Congress should act to reduce the scale of the proposed cuts by at least $100 million, and should consider other substantial increases in funding for nonproliferation programs [belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu]

» August 29 2014 - Economy, US, stock market. Many in the U.S. Intelligence Community Fear a $100 Trillion American Meltdown is Imminent. Interview with Jim Rickards, the CIA's Financial Threat and Asymmetric Warfare Advisor. Jim Rickards has spent more than 3 decades on Wall Street as a leading international investment banker, hedge fund manager, and as the architect behind the technology nicknamed "the brains" of the NASDAQ. Rickards and many of his colleagues in the U.S. Intelligence Community have been tracking a series of alarming signals that point to an imminent American economic collapse. They predict a sudden 70% stock market crash is about to strike, followed by a $100 trillion meltdown… and it will plummet US into a 25-year Great Depression. [...] Jim Rickards, Predicts Today's Sudden Market Pullback is One Piece of a Much More Dangerous Puzzle [moneymorning.com]

» August 28 2014 - Energy efficiency. IPIECA, New topics added to Energy Efficiency Compendium. Energy efficiency is a critical element of modern plant management, offering a win-win on cost savings and GHG emissions reductions. As part of IPIECA's greenhouse gas management work, we have added 11 topics to the IPIECA-OGP online database of energy efficiency technologies and good practice. The database aims to raise awareness of such technologies and increase their uptake across the oil and gas industry. The new topics added cover: Cooling systems; Electric motors; Energy efficient activation; Energy efficient design; Flowlines; General performance and efficiency monitoring; Green completions; Heat exchangers; Open cycle gas turbines; Power recovery turbines; Pumps for power [ipieca.org]

» August 28 2014 - Climate change, Nature climate change commentary. Renegotiating the global climate stabilization target. Climate policy has gained focus with the adoption of the 2 °C target, but action to avoid dangerous climate change has not occurred as expected. It is time to reconsider the target, and most importantly, the relationship between climate science and policy [nature.com]

» August 28 2014 - Natural gas, pipeline, Russia, China. Gazprom holds talks with Chinese Ambassador to Russia. The parties addressed the progress with and the prospects for strategic co-operation, placing a special emphasis on the Russian gas pipeline project to China. The meeting comes after Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation signed the contract for Russian gas supply by pipeline to China in late May 2014. The 30-year contract stipulates gas supplies amounting to 38 Bcm/a, and is one of the largest global investment projects. $US55 billion will be invested in the construction of production and transmission facilities in Russia, with an extensive gas infrastructure network to be set up in Russia's east [pipelinesinternational.com]

» August 28 2014 - Climate change, Nature climate change commentary. Climate science reconsidered. There is a gap between the current role of the climate science community and the needs of society. Closing this gap represents a necessary but insufficient step towards improved public discourse and more constructive policy formulation on climate change [nature.com]

» August 28 2014 - Climate change, Nature corrispondence, UK, Ireland. Meteorological agencies of Ireland and the UK have confirmed that winter (December to February) 2013–2014 (W2013–14) set records for precipitation totals and the occurrence of extreme wind speeds. [nature.com]

» August 28 2014 - Economy, US, stock market. Many in the U.S. Intelligence Community Fear a $100 Trillion American Meltdown is Imminent. Interview with Jim Rickards, the CIA's Financial Threat and Asymmetric Warfare Advisor, Today, at 3 PM (Eastern Time). Jim Rickards has spent more than 3 decades on Wall Street as a leading international investment banker, hedge fund manager, and as the architect behind the technology nicknamed "the brains" of the NASDAQ. Rickards and many of his colleagues in the U.S. Intelligence Community have been tracking a series of alarming signals that point to an imminent American economic collapse. They predict a sudden 70% stock market crash is about to strike, followed by a $100 trillion meltdown… and it will plummet US into a 25-year Great Depression. They now fear this outcome is unavoidable. [...] In this exclusive interview he will discuss: The alarming pattern in our stock market that is now 2X more unstable than it was prior to the "Black Tuesday" crash of 1929. The frightening signal the intelligence community has detected that suggests our society is already suffering from a secret depression that will soon spiral down to 1930s levels. The one chart that proves our GDP growth is about to flatline. The five flashpoints that could set everything in motion at any moment. The emergency measures our government has already put "in play" for this coming collapse [moneymorning.com]

» August 27 2014 - Energy storage, renewable energy, microgrid, energy operating system. Let's Stop Just Consuming and Become Part of the Internet of Energy. While there are lots of hardware systems available, he [Ryan Wartena, CEO and founder of Growing Energy Labs] saw a dearth of "platforms," or operating systems. And as we add electric vehicles, renewable energy and energy storage to energy system, we need such operating systems more than ever. For example, if companies are generating more power than they need using renewable energy, and selling that power to the utility, they need an energy operating system to allow them to track changing prices, generate and store power, and sell it back to the grid. That's where GELI's software comes in. In a microgrid, GELI's software makes operational decisions based on the price of power and energy, in addition to the electrical status and activity of the microgrid itself and other system components. It optimizes the energy storage system within the context of the microgrid and the power grid. For this work, GELI recently garnered an Innovation Award by Energy Storage North America. The awards identified the leading energy storage projects in North America. The company's business model focuses on getting energy storage out there as quickly as possible. Rather than offer a turnkey system, the company brings different components together, provides integration software, and lets its customers-solar developers-buy from original equipment manufacturers

» August 27 2014 - Energy, electricity transmission investment, US, EIA. There has been a five-fold increase in new electricity transmission investment in the United States by major investors and privately owned companies during the 15 years from 1997 to 2012. The investment increased from $2.7 billion in 1997 to $14.1 billion in 2012-reversing a three-decade decline. The first major wave of electricity transmission investment ended in the late 1960s. It began with electrification in the early 1900s and was driven by increased use of new transmission technology, the growing use of large central station generating plants to serve large areas, and growing electricity demand following World War II. From then until the mid-1990s, investment in transmission infrastructure declined. It has increased since then for several reasons: Improving reliability; Connecting to renewable energy sources; Accommodating changes in electricity demand; Increasing costs to build new transmission; Reforming markets [eia.gov]

» August 27 2014 - Offshore wind farm, UK. The first of 35 Siemens 6MW turbines has been successfully erected at the Westermost Rough offshore wind farm, a joint venture between DONG Energy (50%) and its partners Marubeni Corporation (25%) and the UK Green Investment Bank (25%). The Westermost Rough offshore wind farm marks the first time that the next generation Siemens 6MW turbine will be used on a commercial scale – an important step on DONG Energy's cost of energy reduction strategy. The wind farm will have a capacity of 210MW, producing enough electricity to power approximately 210,000 homes [dongenergy.co.uk]

» August 27 2014 - Natural gas, geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, UE. Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak and EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger will hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday night to discuss issues of Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine and Europe. "We will discuss the current situation concerning with gas deliveries and transit," Novak, who is currently visiting the Belarusian capital of Minsk, told journalists. "More detailed talks will be held in Moscow on August 29. Earlier on Tuesday, Alexander Novak said Russia was ready to sell to Ukraine additional gas volumes should Kiev pay for them [itar-tass.com]

» August 27 2014 - Natural gas, geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, UE. Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak and EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger will hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday night to discuss issues of Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine and Europe. "We will discuss the current situation concerning with gas deliveries and transit," Novak, who is currently visiting the Belarusian capital of Minsk, told journalists. "More detailed talks will be held in Moscow on August 29. Earlier on Tuesday, Alexander Novak said Russia was ready to sell to Ukraine additional gas volumes should Kiev pay for them [itar-tass.com]

» August 27 2014 - Climate change, US-China dialogue, official government report. Report of the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group to the 6th Round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, July 9, 2014. Given the latest scientific understanding of accelerating climate change and the urgent need to intensify global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, forceful, nationally appropriate action by the United States and China - including large-scale cooperative action - is more critical than ever. To meet this need, the two countries established the CCWG on April 13, 2013. In July 2013, the CCWG launched an enhanced policy dialogue and five action initiatives, including: Emission Reductions from Heavy-Duty and Other Vehicles; Smart Grids; Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage; Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Industry; and Collecting and Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data. These initiatives address some of the key drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in both countries and will produce significant co-benefits, including cleaner air and energy savings and water recovery. During Secretary Kerry's visit to Beijing in February 2014, the United States and China agreed on implementation plans for all five initiatives. They also agreed to work together, within the vehicle of the CCWG, to collaborate through enhanced policy dialogue, including the sharing of information regarding their respective post-2020 plans to limit greenhouse gas emissions. This Report outlines progress made on the five initiatives and in the enhanced policy dialogue, as well as collaboration on hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs), and highlights new and possible areas of cooperation [en.ndrc.gov.cn]

» August 27 2014 - Nuclear power, US. The floundering U.S. nuclear industry just got a bit of good news: Utah is considering building two new nuclear reactors. Blue Castle Holdings Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse that could eventually lead to the construction of two AP1000 nuclear reactors. The two reactors have an estimated cost of $10 billion and an estimated operational date of 2024. If constructed, Blue Castle says the reactors will increase Utah's electricity generation capacity by 50 percent, which would replace the power lost with the retirement of a few coal plants in the state. The announcement is important because building new nuclear reactors in the United States has been a struggle, to say the least. There are five other reactors under construction - two in South Carolina, two in Georgia, and one in Tennessee. All have suffered delays and unexpected cost increases. Demonstrating the ability to build new advanced nuclear reactors like the AP1000 is critical for the industry's long-term health. But it is also important for the U.S. as a whole because nuclear power is the largest source of carbon-free electricity in the country [oilprice.com]

» August 26 2014 - Oil, Libya. Libya's crude production has continued to rise, reaching 630,000 b/d late Monday, a spokesman for state-owned National Oil Corp said. The country's oil production has been ramping up since July, with all its export terminals, including the eastern ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, back under state control and operational. However, not all oil fields are back in operation. "The Waha oil field is not operational yet, and there is no information about restarting it," NOC spokesman Mohamed al-Harari said Monday. "We have enough crude at the tank farms before we start operating all the fields at the same time." The 160,000 b/d field is operated by Waha Oil Company, a joint venture of NOC with three US firms -- ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil and Hess Corporation. Production is normally transported to the 340,000 b/d Es Sider and is expected to restart once storage space at the port is cleared. Germany's Wintershall, another major foreign oil producer, said last week it was ready to resume production at its onshore fields, but was waiting for approval from NOC. [platts.com]

» August 26 2014 - Natural gas, greenhouse gas emissions, US. Natural gas is touted as a great success story in the US, not just by industry but also by the Obama administration and even by many environmentalists. The gas boom is supposed to have led to lower greenhouse gas emissions and to help pave the way to a greener future. But according to Harvard historian of science Naomi Oreskes, this is wishful thinking. There is no evidence that higher gas use has led to lower emissions and there is every reason expect that the dash for gas will "simply increase the total amount of fossil fuel available in the world to burn, accelerating what is already beginning to look like a rush towards disaster" [reneweconomy.com.au]

» August 26 2014 - CO2 utilisation, conference, Germany. ACI's 3rd Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Summit 2014 will ultimately discover how to turn waste CO2 into profitable, commercially viable opportunities and the best ways to progress from pilot stage to full scale operational businesses. The conference will address both the technical and commercial aspects of CO2 Utilisation in Europe and across the globe. With individual case study analysis, you can join the investigation on the different applications of emerging and existing CO2 applications and find out how to maximise usage from CO2 waste. Applications examined will include Power to Gas/Liquids, Fuel, Petrochemical, Chemical, Urea, Algae, and Power/Energy sectors. 22-23 october 2014, Bremen, Germany [wplgroup.com]

» August 26 2014 - Natural gas, geopolitics, Ukraine, Russia. Ukrainian state-run oil and gas company Naftogaz has returned to Russian energy giant Gazprom $10.54 million which the Russian gas monopoly paid to Ukraine for gas transit in July, the Ukrainian company said on Tuesday. "Ukraine's Naftogaz did not accept $10.54 million which Gazprom transferred as additional payment for Russian gas transit via Ukraine in July and has returned the payment to the contract party," Naftogaz said. The Ukrainian company noted that "the current situation is caused by disagreements between the two companies over the gas transit price through Ukraine." "Gazprom has earlier transferred an advance payment for transit supplies. The formula calculating the transit price takes into account the price for Russian gas delivery to Ukraine. According to Naftogaz's estimates, the prepayment has not been used fully," the Ukrainian company said [itar-tass.com]

» August 26 2014 - Climate change, scenario process, socioeconomic pathways. The International Committee On New Integrated Climate change assessment Scenarios (ICONICS) recently updated its website. This committee aims to facilitate the new climate change scenario process. This website provides an introduction to the new scenario process, an overview of available and upcoming publications, events, and projects that develop or use the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). You are encouraged to submit your own publications and projects to be added to the list, and to let us know about any upcoming events that should be listed [cgd.ucar.edu]

» August 25 2014 - Oil, natural gas, UK, Scotland. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond continues to insist that the strong future of Scottish oil would provide major support for the country if it achieves independence from the United Kingdom -- but not everyone agrees. Scotland will hold a referendum on Sept. 18 to v