Latest news
German coalition to reform the renewable energy law in 2014
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) concluded a coalition deal envisaging curbing the growth of renewables and reforming the current controversial renewable support scheme in order to limit the increase of electricity bills to consumers by next summer, giving big utilities more time to adapt their business models.
read more... 29/11/2013
Gas-fired plants face profit squeezes and opportunistic investment
Utilities across Europe have been hit by high gas prices and low power contracts, which have squeezed their profit margins.
read more... 09/08/2013
Germany: Green energy boom bedevils conventional power plants
German utilities are intensifying pressure on the government ahead of Federal elections due to be held in Germany on 22nd September to ease green policies that are hitting their profits.
read more... 07/08/2013
Japan’s Hitachi to build nuclear power plants in the UK
The Japanese company Hitachi has announced on Tuesday that it intends to buy from German utilities E.ON and RWE the nuclear venture Horizon, for a total of 696 million pounds, and added that it was already in negotiations to find another company to manage the plants after they are built.
read more... 01/11/2012
Europe's long-term gas contract disputes
European energy companies faced with falling profits are turning up the pressure on long-term suppliers such as Russia and Qatar to amend long-term, oil-indexed sales of gas. Recession and market liberalisation measures by the European Commission have caused oil and gas prices to diverge, costing utilities billions. Disputes, re-negotiations and arbitration have led producers to temporarily grant discounts on gas supplies. Some have lowered prices and others have linked supplies to prices at Europe's freely traded spot gas trading hubs. Some utilities also want greater flexibility by being able to reduce supplies beyond minimum contracted levels during times of low demand. Many negotiations are still under way.
read more... 31/10/2012