Ken Silverstein

As global leaders prepare to meet in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations’ #COP29 climate summit this month, the world’s attention is focused on #methane and its largest emitter: #China. Energy experts say China must address methane emissions from the fossil-fuel sector, develop monitoring and tracking technologies, introduce a firm target for reduction and enhance its global cooperation – especially with the #US. https://lnkd.in/gZNVmtXY South China Morning Post SCMP #climatechange #greenhousegases #energy #fossilfuels

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Regulators are taking positive steps to make it easier and faster to get approval for new nuclear plants. It is still cumbersome but every move in the right directions makes the prospect for more plants to be built is a good thing.

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DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors (my latest for PV Magazine USA) Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s #PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.

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#Reorgcoverage on #SAEL --On July 16 afternoon, Reorg exclusively and accurately reported that waste-to-energy and solar power producer SAEL Industries was planning to announce the mandate for its inaugural USD bond latest by July 17. Our report provided details of the likely structure, tenor and issue size, and total capacity of assets being offered to secure the bonds. The mandate was announced late evening the same day. --On March 12, we first reported that SAEL was contemplating an inaugural USD bond to refinance its INR debt and for general corporate purposes. We had also highlighted that it was looking to raise $400M for refinancing of debt and $200M for GCP. #wastetoenergy #solar #renewables #highyield #debt #asiacorecredit #bonds

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My new blog for Carbon Tracker looks at how the #SupremeCourt decision to strike down #Chevron Deference will impact efforts to fight #climatechange. https://lnkd.in/eq5JT_Pa

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest World Energy Outlook (WEO) provided few surprises in terms of the direction of travel of the energy sector, but it did shed light on the pace of the clean energy transformation and the central role of electricity in the ongoing change. https://lnkd.in/ee8CyRGu

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World in 'additions' phase of energy transition consuming increasing amounts of low-carbon & fossil options The availability of affordable energy is critical to livelihoods and energy security is paramount. All the more so for India, which is still energy-poor. The war in Ukraine and the more recent escalation in violence in the Middle East have added a sense of urgency to the issue of energy security.   According to bp Energy Outlook 2024, global energy demand has been growing at an average of 1% per year between 2019-2023, significantly lower than the slightly under 2% growth seen in the preceding 10 years. What comes as a disappointment is that the energy efficiency momentum has dissipated to some extent. The amount of energy used per unit of economic activity in the last four years has been falling by little over 1% per year, much lower than the declines seen in the previous ten-years and even more so from the 4% decline targeted in the energy efficiency pledge at COP-28. As my Point of View in the September 10 issue of Chemical Weekly notes, investments in low-carbon energy is estimated to have grown very rapidly in recent years – up ~50% since 2019 at $1.3 trillion in 2023. While impressive, the growth in wind and solar power capacity additions have fallen short of the incremental energy demand on a global basis. This has meant that the use of fossil fuels has continued to rise. Indeed, fossil fuel consumption in 2023 reached a new high, driven primarily by rising oil consumption. To meet this demand, the oil and gas industry invested about $550-bn in upstream activities in 2023. Though this remains well below peak investments in the early 2010s, it has enabled a continued increase in oil and gas production, which has also benefitted by productivity gains. In summary, the energy transition is in addition phase – adding capacity and demand for the old (fossil) and the new (renewable)! To read the full opinion piece click here: https://lnkd.in/dvDRkaAA #Energy #renewable #oilandgas #wind #solar #energysecurity #IEA

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#mdpienergies #highlycitedpaper Assessing the Level of Energy Poverty Using a Synthetic Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index in EU Countries 👉 https://ow.ly/k3WR50RfZju University of Szczecin #energypoverty #SyntheticMultidimensionalEnergyPovertyIndex #classificationsofcountries #zerounitarizationmethod

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Energy Community Secretariat releases report on post-war development of renewable energy sector in Ukraine https://lnkd.in/eYt-A48P Key recommendations outlined in the report include: - Development of an updated Ukraine Energy Strategy and National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), incorporating input from key stakeholders and aligning with EU integration goals. - Feasibility studies to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid and identify priority measures for future procurement. - Harmonization of subordinate plans, legislation, and development frameworks to support overall sector strategy. - Alignment of legal frameworks with Energy Community standards to ensure compliance with EU legislation. - Resolution of non-payment issues through regulatory reforms and independent oversight mechanisms. - Promotion of smaller distributed suppliers to enhance market stability and resilience. - Implementation of legislative amendments and financial mechanisms to support sector revitalization. PDF: https://lnkd.in/eGCXUgfA 👉 OGEL Special Issue on The Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Energy Sector https://lnkd.in/gJVYZ5uu

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Participants in the carbon markets expressed optimism as they expected demand and sentiment to improve following parties to the Conference of Parties approving the two standards-- for carbon removals and project methodologies-- developed by Supervisory Body. Even though the body is likely to come up with methodologies for Article 6.4 markets as early as mid 2025, there could be possible delays. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/g9Mz-7yi Eklavya Gupte Aliana Zulaika Y. Mimansa V. Energy Transition by S&P Global Commodity Insights

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As #utilities begin to embrace the benefits of deploying #distributedenergyresources, different models are emerging for how utilities and their customers can participate. Programs from Sunrun and Sparkfund are two examples. #microgrids Pier LaFarge Chris Rauscher, J.D. https://lnkd.in/gkA2C-KR

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The new Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP-2024-34) disproportionately excludes cost-effective variable renewable energy (VRE) – solar and wind power – from the planned generation mix, relies massively on hydropower and breaches the policy that new projects will be added on a competitive and least-cost basis. While lack of transparency in data and analytic methodology, the absence of an unconstrained least-cost modeling and a low share for VRE in violation of local policy targets are especially concerning, the Renewable Energy Coalition and Alternative Law Collective note, in their separate comments on the NTDC’ planned power generation capacity expansion, that the 10-year integrated system plan (ISP) has many loopholes. They point out that there are several weaknesses in the approach to demand forecasting and demand side management as well as limitations in the transmission expansion planning, which requires attention and redress. These oversights reflect a lack of synergy within the planning process, they emphasise in their comments submitted to the nation’s power regulator, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). https://lnkd.in/dQUXCQMR

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One of the DOE's four new $1.5B #transmission capacity contracts under the Transmission Facilitation Program (TFP) went to Southern Spirit, a Pattern Energy project that has proposed to interconnect #ERCOT with Southeastern grids—a first for fiercely independent ERCOT. The project already has FERC approval. Here's more about the four projects as well as the multi-year National Transmission Planning Study the DOE unveiled yesterday. https://lnkd.in/gKkjdGCf

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