US coal generation falls off a cliff

Power generation from coal is falling quickly. According to new figures from the US Energy Information Administration, coal made up 36 per cent of US electricity in the first quarter of 2012 – down from 44.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011.  That stunning drop, which represented almost a 20 percent decline in coal generation over the last year, was primarily due to low natural gas prices. As EIA explains, natural gas generation will climb steadily this year, while coal will see a double-digit drop by the end of 2012:

Nuclear industry finds new plants are not so cheap

The thin veneer supporting the nuclear industry’s claims of being the lowest-cost clean energy source is being rapidly eroded by a series of cost blow-outs and cancellations in the UK, Europe and the US.  The latest blow to the industry came in the UK, where earthworks for the Hinkley Point nuclear project in Somerset – the first to be built in the country for two decades – have been delayed amid reports of a huge cost blowout. And in the US, the country’s first nuclear plant to be built in three decades has also revealed significant cost over-runs.

Tax breaks proposed to spur UK sustainability

New tax incentives to boost the UK’s low level of personal savings and direct more of these savings into activities that yield social and environmental benefits are called for in a new report from the Green Alliance.

CORN PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL RELEASES 2011 SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE

Corn Products International, Inc. (NYSE: CPO), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, today released the Company's Sustainability Update.  The Sustainability Update reviews the Company's sustainability program. This program is designed to develop a better business and build a better world by incorporating and encouraging sustainable practices. The Update centers around 4 P's-People, Planet, Products and Prosperity-and provides a look at current initiatives and activities as well as future programs.

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Point Carbon's OTC price assessments

		Close	+/-
EUA	Dec 2012	6.67	-0.16
sCER	Dec 2012	3.64	-0.04

 

 

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International policy

14 May 2012 18:07

Duration of ‘Kyoto 2’ threatens rift at U.N. climate talks

BONN, May 14 (Reuters Point Carbon) – A dispute over the length of the second commitment period of t…

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Policy

14 May 2012 16:34

UPDATE 1: UK wants EU focus on new CO2 cuts, not renewables

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - Europe should focus on cutting carbon emissions, rather than just repeati…

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Markets

14 May 2012 17:22

Green CER premium crushed as sellers unwind 2012 hedges

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters Point Carbon) – The price premium that so-called “green CERs” command fell t…

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Markets

14 May 2012 16:26

Peruvian coffee farmers use offset cash to fund adaptation

LONDON May, 14 (Reuters Point Carbon) - Peru-based coffee farmers have sold voluntary offsets at thr…

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EU ETS

14 May 2012 17:24

UPDATE 1: EUAs fall 3.5 pct on lower energy, stocks

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters Point Carbon) - European carbon prices fell 3.5 percent on Monday as softer…

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Policy

14 May 2012 09:26

Australia appoints new climate ambassador

BEIJING, May 14 (Reuters Point Carbon) - Australia has appointed Justin Lee, a former high commissio…

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EU ETS

11 May 2012 15:11

EC to table CO2 price support plan in Sept: UK official

LONDON, May 11 (Reuters Point Carbon) - The European Commission is expected to present a proposal to…

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Highest & Cheapest Gas Prices by Country: Pain at the Pump

The cost of a gallon of gasoline ranks with bad weather as one of the most universal complaints. In the U.S., the price of gas is getting even more attention than usual this year as presidential contenders battle over energy policy.  What's lost in the debate is how much the U.S. and other countries actually pay for gas, relative to one another and to their citizens' wages. The following ranking sorts 55 countries by average price at the pump and by "pain at the pump," which is measured by the percentage of average daily income needed to buy a gallon of fuel.

Challenges ahead for carbon trade scheme

A plan to introduce a greenhouse gas emissions trading program didn’t generate as much debate in Korea as in the U.S. and some other countries before it passed the parliament earlier this month.  But bipartisan support for the plan doesn’t guarantee a smooth glide toward its implementation, experts warned.

How Business Can Drive Sustainable Growth At Rio And Beyond

Leaders from government, business, academia and civil society are getting ready to head to Rio next month for the global summit on sustainable development, popularly known as Rio+20

Will AGL have to choose between green and brown gold?

AGL Energy managing director Michael Fraser finds himself in an intriguing position as chairman of the Clean Energy Council, a role that should put make him pivotal to the push for the fastest possible deployment of renewables in Australia.  Fraser’s commitment to an aspirational goal for renewable energy has been virtually unquestioned for much of the past few years, as AGL Energy sought to position itself for the “clean energy future” with the lowest emissions profile of any major energy utility, and the biggest investment of any Australian company in renewable energy development. Fraser has been one of the strongest public advocates for both a carbon price and a strong renewable energy target, particularly among the ranks of the major listed companies on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Growing the grunt: developing green biofuels for Australia

In 300 BC, the Syrian city of Antioch had public street lighting fuelled by olive oil. At the 1900 Paris World Fair, German inventor Rudolph Diesel demonstrated his engine powered by peanut oil.  Biofuels are not new, but many of the technologies are, and interest in renewable, sustainable biofuels has recently been rising due to worry about peak oil and price pressures, vulnerability of energy supplies, dependence on imports, and greenhouse emissions.  In April this year, Qantas made its first flight using a 50-50 blend of refined cooking oil and regular jet fuel. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce told the Australian: “We need to get ready for a future that is not based on traditional jet fuel or frankly we don’t have a future … And it’s not just the price of oil that’s the issue – it’s also the price of carbon”. Australia’s tax on carbon emissions is scheduled to come into force on 1 July 2012.

Carbon capture leak simulated in sea off Scotland

Several thousand kilos of CO2 will be pumped into the seabed off west Scotland from Monday to simulate what happens if a leak occurs from a carbon capture store.  Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a way to lower emissions from fossil fuel power plants by stripping CO2 from smokestacks of gas and coal power plants, and then transferring it to a former oil or gas reservoir underground. CCS projects have been initiated around the world – Statoil has had a CCS project in the North Sea for the past 10 years – but no major leaks have yet been reported.

Shell Executives' Comments Confirm the Validity of Carbon Sciences' Business Opportunity

Carbon Sciences Inc. CABN +7.84% , the developer of a breakthrough technology to make transportation fuels, hydrogen and other valuable products from natural gas, today responded to comments made by key Royal Dutch Shell executives about the future role of natural gas and the importance of catalyst technology.  In an exclusive interview published by Oil & Gas Middle East on May 8, Wael Sawan, the new man at the top for Shell in Qatar, commented on energy demand and the role of natural gas, "At Shell, we believe global energy demand is likely to double in the first half of this century. This demand will be driven by a rising global population, which has just reached 7 billion on its way to over 9 billion by 2050, and by strong growth in the emerging economies. To keep pace with demand, the world will need to invest in excess of $1 trillion per year globally in the total energy supply chain."