What does the ‘Contracts for Difference’ scheme mean for the UK’s energy sector?
On Thursday 7 June, as Johnson's government was in its undignified death throes, one of it’s major success was being unveiled to the world. The results of an auction for…
Rishi Sunak’s solution to the energy crisis is building on a legacy of failure
In response to a surge in energy prices the UK government has been forced to intervene. Five months after the Green Party of England and Wales produced its proposals, the…
What the collapse of Bulb and other suppliers means for our energy system
Energy firms have been collapsing left, right and centre. The recent demise of both Bulb and Orbit means 27 suppliers have gone bankrupt this year, driven by a rapid rise…
The UK’s energy crisis is a product of years of policy failures
The last month has seen Northern European electricity prices move from the record lows of last year, to record highs. This has been chiefly driven by a massive spike in…
Is the UK’s hydrogen strategy propping up the gas industry?
In August, the government finally published it’s hydrogen strategy with great aplomb. For several years the government has made it clear that it sees the nascent hydrogen industry as a…
Can central banks get their act together on the climate crisis?
The last few weeks have seen a rush of central banks - under pressure from both activists and their own research - taking steps to limit their climate impacts. These…
What the 2021 oil price recovery means for the climate
For those readers who own oil wells, the last decade has probably not been profitable. The last year has been even less kind, Covid bringing home unprecedented demand destruction on…
The latest IEA report spells the end of one excuse for climate inaction
The world of energy has a lot of reports. Almost all of them that attempt to predict the future have been wrong. Most of them say nothing new. The International…
Ben Houchen is able to claim green credentials because the left offered no alternative
Ben Houchen is the newly re-elected Tory mayor of Tees Valley, and he has a good case to be the most green-friendly Tory mayor in the country (there are not…
Why did Rio Tinto pay out $9 billion to shareholders in 2020?
Mining giant Rio Tinto’s share price shot up last week, as they announced a record $9bn paid out in dividends to shareholders in 2020. This might seem counterintuitive in the…