In the EU like elsewhere the amount of energy that will be consumed in the future is determined as the product of population, wealth and energy intensity.
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In promising on a unilateral level to reduce the energy intensity of its economy by more than 40% from 2005 levels by 2020, China has positioned itself among the political leaders in the debate about climate change. Is China’s target ambitious and achievable?
The energy sector is one of the late arrivals in the single market. At the same time, it is the sector on which the highest expectations are placed today. 2012 will not be the 20th anniversary of the single market for energy. Rather it will just mark the beginning of the consolidation of a common energy market.
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The number of patents in a given technological field provides a proxy of the strengths and paths of innovation. Using a worldwide database on patents, we gave a quick glance at patterns in innovation in nuclear technology, its relation with specific historical events and oil prices. We also found interesting trends regarding nuclear innovation in Germany, France and China.
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It is much easier building nuclear power plants in an authoritarian country, one with a central planning organization, or with a single state-owned power enterprise. That explains why China and South Korea, for example, can push ahead with ambitious nuclear construction plans.