January 25th, 2012 by Leonardo Meeus, Florence School of Regulation
Grids are already developing offshore, and this development will continue even though at what pace and how they will develop is still uncertain. Indeed, there are different possible configurations for a future offshore grid: it can be a simple multiplication of standalone lines that provide each a single service (either connection of generation, or connection between transmission grids); or it can be a more integrated infrastructure like an offshore meshed grid that combines and interconnects dozens of offshore lines and generation units (hereafter combined solution). Continue reading »
Posted in Climate Change, Electricity, Energy Policy | No Comments »
January 22nd, 2012 by Robert Stavins, Harvard University
One outcome of the recent Durban climate negotiations is a non-binding agreement to reach an agreement by 2015 that will bring all countries under the same legal regime by 2020. This “Durban Platform for Enhanced Action” – has opened an important window. To explain what I mean requires a brief review of some key points from twenty years of history of international climate negotiations.
Continue reading »
Posted in Climate Change | No Comments »
January 18th, 2012 by François Lévêque, Ecole des mines de Paris
Could Fukushima put an end to the French exception? Everybody in France is now talking about, and arguing for or against, a prospective nuclear phase-out. Political Candidates running for the next presidency defend their affirmative or negative position on this issue with figures published in several recent studies assessing the investment costs of an eventual a potential phase-out, as opposed to a continuation of the current power generation model. Unsurprisingly, the numbers differ. Why?
Continue reading »
Posted in Electricity, Energy Policy, Nuclear Power | 2 Comments »
January 6th, 2012 by Paul Joskow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s forecasts can be used as a pre-fukushima baseline scenario. They use the year 2035 as their terminal year. This is unfortunate and potentially misleading. Many existing nuclear plants (essentially all existing U.S. plants) will retire within a few years after 2035, even if they are able to secure 20-year license extensions. This means that sustaining nuclear’s share of total electricity generation, would require substantial construction of new nuclear plants well before midcentury both to meet growing electricity demand and to replace retiring units. Continue reading »
Posted in Energy Policy, Nuclear Power | No Comments »
