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To Meet Emissions Targets, We’ve All Got to Be like France
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/518711/to-meet-emissions-targets-weve-all-got-to-be-like-france/[font face=Serif]
Kevin Bullis
August 26, 2013
[font size=5]To Meet Emissions Targets, We’ve All Got to Be like France[/font]
[font size=4]Even with a terrible recession and a natural-gas bonanza, the U.S. isn’t cutting emissions fast enough.[/font]
[font size=3]Some experts still think it is possible to reduce emissions 50 percent globally by 2050, a somewhat arbitrary goal thought to minimize the risk of climate-change disasters. But they say hitting that goal is possible only if we try really hard.
…
Over a remarkable period of 30 years, France went from getting less than 1 percent of its power from nuclear power plants (which emit no carbon dioxide directly) to getting about 80 percent from them. During the period of the fastest nuclear build-out, France managed to reduce emissions at a rate of 2 percent per year, says David Victor, co-director of the Laboratory on International Law and Regulation at the University of California, San Diego.
Victor says to hit emissions targets the whole world needs to do the same thing, and keep it up over a longer period.
The French transition wasn’t easy. Victor notes that this project was very expensive. And it got more expensive over time, something that would undoubtedly be the case worldwide as the cheapest options for reducing emissions are quickly picked off in the early years.
…[/font][/font]
Kevin Bullis
August 26, 2013
[font size=5]To Meet Emissions Targets, We’ve All Got to Be like France[/font]
[font size=4]Even with a terrible recession and a natural-gas bonanza, the U.S. isn’t cutting emissions fast enough.[/font]
[font size=3]Some experts still think it is possible to reduce emissions 50 percent globally by 2050, a somewhat arbitrary goal thought to minimize the risk of climate-change disasters. But they say hitting that goal is possible only if we try really hard.
…
Over a remarkable period of 30 years, France went from getting less than 1 percent of its power from nuclear power plants (which emit no carbon dioxide directly) to getting about 80 percent from them. During the period of the fastest nuclear build-out, France managed to reduce emissions at a rate of 2 percent per year, says David Victor, co-director of the Laboratory on International Law and Regulation at the University of California, San Diego.
Victor says to hit emissions targets the whole world needs to do the same thing, and keep it up over a longer period.
The French transition wasn’t easy. Victor notes that this project was very expensive. And it got more expensive over time, something that would undoubtedly be the case worldwide as the cheapest options for reducing emissions are quickly picked off in the early years.
…[/font][/font]
4 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
German Utilities Hammered in Market Favoring Renewables
By Tino AndresenAugust 12, 2013
<snip>
RWE AG and EON SE are getting hurt by falling power prices and a shrinking market share this year. They’re set to report second-quarter earnings this week just as RBC Capital Markets said both may need to raise capital.
“Lower earnings for RWE and EON have knock-on implications for the balance sheet of both companies,” John Musk, an analyst at RBC Capital in London, said last week. “The market has yet to factor in the longer-term earnings impact of German power prices,” which have dropped about 27 percent in a year.
Across Europe and some of the U.S., utilities that a decade ago dominated markets now struggle to cope with lower prices exacerbated by subsidized renewables that don’t pay fuel costs. The pain is most acute in Germany, which led the world installing solar farms and has the largest offshore wind plans. Clean energy also has preference over fossil fuels in European wholesale markets, a job killer at traditional utilities.
EON of Dusseldorf and Essen-based RWE are considering halting coal and gas plants with capacity exceeding 20,000 megawatts and can supply 21 cities the size of Cologne, risking some of the combined workforce of more than 10,000.
“A significant part of our business model is now facing new challenges...
By Tino AndresenAugust 12, 2013
<snip>
RWE AG and EON SE are getting hurt by falling power prices and a shrinking market share this year. They’re set to report second-quarter earnings this week just as RBC Capital Markets said both may need to raise capital.
“Lower earnings for RWE and EON have knock-on implications for the balance sheet of both companies,” John Musk, an analyst at RBC Capital in London, said last week. “The market has yet to factor in the longer-term earnings impact of German power prices,” which have dropped about 27 percent in a year.
Across Europe and some of the U.S., utilities that a decade ago dominated markets now struggle to cope with lower prices exacerbated by subsidized renewables that don’t pay fuel costs. The pain is most acute in Germany, which led the world installing solar farms and has the largest offshore wind plans. Clean energy also has preference over fossil fuels in European wholesale markets, a job killer at traditional utilities.
EON of Dusseldorf and Essen-based RWE are considering halting coal and gas plants with capacity exceeding 20,000 megawatts and can supply 21 cities the size of Cologne, risking some of the combined workforce of more than 10,000.
“A significant part of our business model is now facing new challenges...
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-11/german-utilities-hammered-in-market-favoring-renewables-energy
RWE to close or idle power plants
14 August 2013 Last updated at 13:54 ET
German power giant RWE says it will mothball or shutdown some of its gas and coal-fired power stations because of an increase in renewable energy.
The company said a boom in solar energy meant many of its power stations were no longer profitable.
A total of 3,100 megawatts of generating capacity will be taken off line, representing about 6% of RWE's total capacity.
…
RWE is one of the biggest energy generators in the world. Its power stations affected are in Germany and the Netherlands.
German rival E.On has also begun taking generating capacity off line.
…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23692530
14 August 2013 Last updated at 13:54 ET
German power giant RWE says it will mothball or shutdown some of its gas and coal-fired power stations because of an increase in renewable energy.
The company said a boom in solar energy meant many of its power stations were no longer profitable.
A total of 3,100 megawatts of generating capacity will be taken off line, representing about 6% of RWE's total capacity.
…
RWE is one of the biggest energy generators in the world. Its power stations affected are in Germany and the Netherlands.
German rival E.On has also begun taking generating capacity off line.
…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23692530
FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff: Solar ‘Is Going to Overtake Everything’
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112752417
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112752417
Renewable energy study tips viable reality by 2030
Date August 24, 2013
Peter Hannam
Carbon economy editor
Renewable energy such as wind, solar and hydro power could supply electricity at prices comparable to fossil fuels by 2030, according to a study commissioned by the federal government.
Modelling by the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that 100 per cent of power from clean energy would be technically viable by 2030 - although with a price tag ranging from $219 billion to $252 billion.
But a Community Summary of the report published this month without fanfare by the government has rekindled debate by stating that 100 per cent renewable power may cost no more than fossil fuels.
...
''It's kind of incredible that we haven't modelled (a 100 per cent goal) before now, given that the costs are basically the same,''...
...''We're exposed to rising carbon prices, we're exposed to rising gas prices,'' Dr Riesz said. ''What this is saying is, that for around the same price you can build 100 per cent renewable energy and completely protect yourselves from all of those risks.''
...
http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/renewable-energy-study-tips-viable-reality-by-2030-20130823-2shby.html
Date August 24, 2013
Peter Hannam
Carbon economy editor
Renewable energy such as wind, solar and hydro power could supply electricity at prices comparable to fossil fuels by 2030, according to a study commissioned by the federal government.
Modelling by the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that 100 per cent of power from clean energy would be technically viable by 2030 - although with a price tag ranging from $219 billion to $252 billion.
But a Community Summary of the report published this month without fanfare by the government has rekindled debate by stating that 100 per cent renewable power may cost no more than fossil fuels.
...
''It's kind of incredible that we haven't modelled (a 100 per cent goal) before now, given that the costs are basically the same,''...
...''We're exposed to rising carbon prices, we're exposed to rising gas prices,'' Dr Riesz said. ''What this is saying is, that for around the same price you can build 100 per cent renewable energy and completely protect yourselves from all of those risks.''
...
http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/renewable-energy-study-tips-viable-reality-by-2030-20130823-2shby.html
Cost of Solar Power to Drop 75% by 2020?
by Stuart Burns on AUGUST 20, 2013
Not one to shy away from overstatement, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is not a writer we would normally quote extensively; well-renowned as the Telegraph newspaper is, for which he frequently writes in the Business section, but his article last week on solar power trumping shale gas even had us sitting up and taking notice.
True, many of the figures quoted in his article come from firms involved in the solar industry and as such we can expect them to put a positive gloss on the numbers, but we wouldn’t count the US Energy Department to be biased and they are quoted as saying they expect the cost of solar power to fall by 75% between 2010 and 2020.
By then, average costs will have dropped to $1 per watt for big solar farms, $1.25 for offices and $1.50 for homes, achieving what the Telegraph terms the Holy Grail of grid parity with new coal and gas plants without further need for subsidies. That’s the crunch, isn’t it – the subsidies. But if we think subsidies in the US or UK have been high, consider Germany, early starter in the solar power race.
Households have been bled dry to subsidize solar power – around €100 billion or more has been frittered away on costly feed-in tariffs. In addition, German investors have lost their shirts on a string of solar ventures that have gone bankrupt, only to see the gains leaked out to copycat companies in China which are able to undercut German rivals in their own market with cheap labor and giveaway credit.
Still, that artificially created market has spurred investment around the world; even the US defense establishment is heavily involved, with Evans-Pritchard quoting a string of projects, each of which will help bring down costs and improve efficiencies....
by Stuart Burns on AUGUST 20, 2013
Not one to shy away from overstatement, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is not a writer we would normally quote extensively; well-renowned as the Telegraph newspaper is, for which he frequently writes in the Business section, but his article last week on solar power trumping shale gas even had us sitting up and taking notice.
True, many of the figures quoted in his article come from firms involved in the solar industry and as such we can expect them to put a positive gloss on the numbers, but we wouldn’t count the US Energy Department to be biased and they are quoted as saying they expect the cost of solar power to fall by 75% between 2010 and 2020.
By then, average costs will have dropped to $1 per watt for big solar farms, $1.25 for offices and $1.50 for homes, achieving what the Telegraph terms the Holy Grail of grid parity with new coal and gas plants without further need for subsidies. That’s the crunch, isn’t it – the subsidies. But if we think subsidies in the US or UK have been high, consider Germany, early starter in the solar power race.
Households have been bled dry to subsidize solar power – around €100 billion or more has been frittered away on costly feed-in tariffs. In addition, German investors have lost their shirts on a string of solar ventures that have gone bankrupt, only to see the gains leaked out to copycat companies in China which are able to undercut German rivals in their own market with cheap labor and giveaway credit.
Still, that artificially created market has spurred investment around the world; even the US defense establishment is heavily involved, with Evans-Pritchard quoting a string of projects, each of which will help bring down costs and improve efficiencies....
Read More at http://agmetalminer.com/2013/08/20/cost-of-solar-power-to-drop-75-by-2020-us-military-embraces-it/
Copyright © 2013 MetalMiner
AND THAT PROCESS LEADS TO THIS HAPPENING HERE
German energy giants pull plug on conventional power
German power company RWE is shutting six domestic plants and rival E.ON is threatening to relocate to Turkey as the sector tots up the cost of the government's energy policy turnaround.
...But the turnaround is depriving utilities, including market leaders RWE and E.ON, of massive profits from their atomic plants and turning their gas and coal-fired stations into loss-makers as they are sidelined by rival renewable sources of energy.
...Following the boom of solar power in recent years, nourished by generous subsidies, the capacity of renewable sources of energy is such that, if the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, Germany can actually do without its conventional power plants.
In the period from April to June, a number of RWE's plants were operating at less than 10 percent of capacity, said finance chief Guenther.
And with wholesale electricity prices at the current lows in Europe, that means substantial losses. That was the case with gas-fired plants until recently, but coal-fired generators are now barely profitable as well, he said....
German power company RWE is shutting six domestic plants and rival E.ON is threatening to relocate to Turkey as the sector tots up the cost of the government's energy policy turnaround.
...But the turnaround is depriving utilities, including market leaders RWE and E.ON, of massive profits from their atomic plants and turning their gas and coal-fired stations into loss-makers as they are sidelined by rival renewable sources of energy.
...Following the boom of solar power in recent years, nourished by generous subsidies, the capacity of renewable sources of energy is such that, if the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, Germany can actually do without its conventional power plants.
In the period from April to June, a number of RWE's plants were operating at less than 10 percent of capacity, said finance chief Guenther.
And with wholesale electricity prices at the current lows in Europe, that means substantial losses. That was the case with gas-fired plants until recently, but coal-fired generators are now barely profitable as well, he said....
http://www.afp.com/en/node/1039622
Don't let anyone like "hunter" tell you things are not changing.