Report
Eurelectric conference
Thursday 23 June 2011
Power politics
A golden age for gas may be coming – but what about electricity? Earlier this week, we reported that there were a lot of smiling faces at the 16th European Gas Conference of the International Gas Union (IGU) that was held in Oslo at the beginning of this month. Gas, it was felt among the business leaders, is the wave of the future.
A week later, in nearby Stockholm, Europe’s electricity industry association Eurelectric held its Annual Conference. Here, however, faces looked a lot more worried. The electricity industry is faced with unprecedented challenges. It is expected to ensure secure and affordable energy supplies while being asked at the same time to undergo a “green” transformation. As Herman von Rompuy, President of the European Council, has put it: the European Union believes ‘in a new model of growth – green growth’ – and it is the electricity sector that has to deliver.
To be sure, Eurelectric has signed on to the European Commission’s climate change ambitions – but it views controversial technologies such as nuclear power and carbon capture and storage as indispensable elements in the decarbonisation roadmap. These are precisely the issues where political leaders show themselves to be easily swayed by public opposition.
More generally, industry leaders feel that the changeable attitudes of today’s policymakers are calling into question the stability of the entire energy market structure that the European Union is supposed to be creating – and that is needed to bring investments forward.
There is one bright spot perhaps for Europe’s harrassed power sector: Fulvio Conti, CEO of Enel, will be leading the troops in Brussels from now on – and he has promised he will not be afraid to get into some power plays in the European capital. EER’s editor Karel Beckman has the full story from Stockholm – and some more. You can read it by clicking here.
Editor’s note
European Energy Review receives Energy Journalism Award and breaks through the 32,000 barrier
We are proud to announce that at the 34th International Conference of the International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE) in Stockholm on 20 June, European Energy Review was presented with the 2010 Award for Excellence in Energy Journalism.
Outgoing President of the IAEE, Einar Hope, Professor of Energy Economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, handed the Award to Karel Beckman, editor-in-chief of European Energy Review, at a ceremony in the Vasa Museum, attended by some 300 energy economists from across the world.
At the same time this week, European Energy Review welcomed its 32,000th registered subscriber. EER’s subscriber base has grown consistently since the journal went online at the beginning of 2010. For more information, see our press release here.
Announcements
Are you looking for expert guidance on your path to the Smart Grid? Visit Smart Grid Sherpa, KEMA’s global knowledge base to provide clarity on the smart grid. Including case studies, blog, papers and a free podcast that offers insights into managing interoperability risks, and the need for careful testing measures in response to possible IT challenges.
10-11 October 2011 | London, UK
Distribution Automation Europe
This conference will bring together European utilities and technology leaders for an in-depth review of Distribution Automation, the key component set to transform the Smart Grid network. With presentations and case studies focussing on the benefits of investing in Distribution Automation, this event promises to be an unmissable opportunity to learn and network with other leaders in this field.
Coming up on European Energy Review
UK energy policy: can it deliver secure, reliable and affordable energy?
Are we about to enter a golden age for gas? The International Energy Agency has the answer.
Lessons of the German nuclear phase-out decision: for policymakers and the energy industry
Report from the annual conference of Eurelectric: Europe, we need you!
The (real) risks of radiation
The new energy efficiency plan from the European Commission
Electric cars – how can they be fitted into the existing energy infrastructure?
Recent posts
Let’s get serious (about gas)!
By Reiner Gatermann
Plenty of reasons for happy faces at the 16th European Gas Conference in Oslo: a golden age for gas seems to be coming. There is just one thing that threatens to spoil the party. European governments are slow to get the good news about gas. Gas industry executives call for stronger political support for the gas sector, reports our Nordic correspondent.
Public Acceptance: The Energy Sector’s Biggest Headache
By Sonja van Renssen
These days no energy project can succeed without public backing. Policymakers and companies may have the grandest of plans, a simple “no” from a local community can put all their efforts to naught. Sonja van Renssen discusses how the energy sector can overcome the public acceptance hurdle – and offers a quick guide on how to win public support for energy projects.
Shale gas doesn’t make Poland the new Norway yet
By Ekke Overbeek
Shale gas has captured the imagination of a country that sees its dependency on Russian gas as a threat to national sovereignty. But Poland already seems to have sold its resources to American oil companies – and they might find it more lucrative to sell into the Russian-controlled pipeline network.
The global energy crisis deepens
By Michael Klare
What do the Arab Spring, Fukushima and worldwide droughts add up to? The bottom line, says Michael Klare: Any expectations that ever-increasing supplies of energy will meet demand in the coming years are destined to be disappointed. A grim energy future is on the horizon.
‘EU climate policies are driving smelters out of Europe’
By Karel Beckman
Robert Jan Jeekel, Director Energy & Climate Change of Eurometaux, explains how the EU’s climate and energy policies are threatening the survival of the European producers of non-ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, zinc and nickel. ‘Factories are closing. This could spell the end of the production of aluminum and other non-ferrous metals in the EU.’
The Eurovision Energy Contest 2050
By Sonja van Renssen
EER’s Brussels correspondent takes the pulse of the behind-the-scenes debates that have started on the 2050 Energy Roadmap – the big plan the European Commission is preparing which is aiming at a ‘revolution in energy systems’.
‘European energy companies risk missing out on a tremendous opportunity’
By Karel Beckman
Frank Umbach, Associate Director of the London-based think tank European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), is convinced that shale gas offers Europe a unique opportunity to reduce its dependence on external energy suppliers – and concerned that European energy companies are missing the boat.
European Energy Review is Europe’s foremost independent energy journal on the internet. It features original reports, interviews, analyses, viewpoints and debates from across Europe. Registration to our newsletter, which is free and without obligations, gives you full and free access to our website. For more information about EER, click here.