To make better use of public money and support Europeans out of this fossil fuels shock -- governments should direct the funds to support measures that can DURABLY curb consumption of oil and gas. In this sense, France's approach seems much more forward-looking.
Tomorrow, UK retail time of use power prices will fall as low as -11p/kWh because it's sunny and windy. Renewables are decoupling electricity prices from fossil fuels, starting an afternoon at a time.
Would you like to know more about the #AMOC risk? Here is a recent peer-reviewed, open-access review paper by 22 AMOC experts:
wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
It's not hard to catch fish sustainably - if you don't catch them all, and don't destroy their habitat, they reproduce
Yet industrial fisheries seem determined to destroy themselves, and governments keen to let them
This shouldn't be left to consumers
Greece and Italy - both nearly as sunny as Spain - what are you waiting for?
For the UK, the averages hide the effect of renewables: compare windy Sat night and sunny Sun where negative prices are predicted to windless Tues when gas is due to set the price.
Wild response to high fuel prices in Ireland. There's a scarcity of oil because the Strait of Hormuz is blocked so Irish hauliers and farmers are blocking an oil refinery in the hope that this somehow brings down prices.
Ah got it! I have been a bit surprised that the Council has had so much focus on a simplification programme given it was never going to drive economic growth
CSDDD and EUDR beg to differ!
The EU has spent about the same amount (€13bn) on costlier fossil fuel imports since the attacks on Iran as its expects to save from the whole EU simplification programme.
The weekend is also looking very green. Could Sunday afternoon be the time when gas power stations get switched off for the first time? All but one of the UK's nuclear units will be online and the weather is looking good for it. Only rub is IFA broke again on the 21st :(
Lowest share of gas on the UK grid I have seen. Nice weather for renewables!
Trump is buying back Total's offshore wind leases dollar-for-dollar under an agreement that Total will reinvest the money in oil and gas.
www.doi.gov/pressrelease...
The final report on last April's Spain/Portugal blackout is out. A few takeaways:
- Lack of "inertia" due to too few fossil/nuclear generators - the thing anti-renewable pundits immediately blamed without evidence, then reporters breathlessly endlessly repeated - played essentially no role.
Great to see our @ippr.org report on climate backlash in the FT this morning.
Anyone saying there is a breakdown in public support for climate policies is wrong. It’s entirely an elite confection, driven by people who don’t want to change.
The strategy should be take them on not accommodate
Meanwhile, in the North Sea, the wind blows. The Spanish sun shines. Electricity prices don’t change. Electric trains keep running; your heat pump hums quietly in the background.
It's bad news – in a few years’ time energy might be a tiny bit more expensive, if supply can’t be increased from other locations over the next year or two.
In Europe and Asia, market analysts respond by marginally increasing their expectations for the renewable auction rounds next year, reflecting a short-term stoppage for 20% of global clean energy supply, with production of Qatari wind tubines likely to be down by 17% for several years.
The US and Israel, for reasons, bomb Iran, eventually attacking its main solar manufacturing plant. Iran responds by destroying part of Qatar’s wind manufacturing factory. Potential mines in the Strait of Hormuz mean no wind turbines or solar panels have left the Gulf for over 3 weeks.
Let’s imagine an alternative energy crisis, in a world where our energy was mostly from renewables.
This is the oh shit moment for Europe
A good day to be inspired by Pakistan, which responded to the 2022 gas price spike by deploying ~50GW of solar, approx 18GW of which happened in 2024 alone.
Great to be on Radio 4's Farming Today early this morning to talk about the Land Use Framework: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (from 10:30m in).
It's only a first step, but signficant land use change for nature and climate can have big upsides, including for upland communities.
A good day to be inspired by Pakistan, which responded to the 2022 gas price spike by deploying ~50GW of solar, approx 18GW of which happened in 2024 alone.
These projections are for 2.4C temp rise, slightly less than what we're currently heading for
And assumes response from govt/local authorities in increasing flood defence spend
But even so, number of homes at high risk of flooding triples to 800k from now
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
I know we are all distracted by geopolitics (me too) but what were tail risks from climate distruption, like hothouse earth, are becoming more likely, and fast.
The other issue is that of the total volume generation built, cheaper onshore wind and solar make up only ~20% of expected output.
The offshore wind that makes up 80% of the auction's likely ouput will cut gas imports, but it won't cut bills.
AR7 costs are £72/MWh for onshore wind; £65/MWh for solar (all in 2024 prices).
Much cheaper than wholesale prices (~£80/MWh) or new gas power (£109/MWh) but compared to Spanish solar (€46/MWh) UK renewables aren't astonishingly cheap any more.
How much will it cost the UK to reach an 87% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040?
In a new letter, @thecccuk.bsky.social confirms about £4bn a year (£26bn a year of costs minus £22bn a year of savings).
www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
87% by 2040 is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050
"The point is that it's a lot easier for families to fill up tummies with really convenient, energy-dense food."
"We need supermarkets to be doing much more to make it easier for families to make those healthy choices."
- our Executive Director Anna Taylor on BBC Breakfast this morning.
